The Silent World of Cassandra Evans
by DylantheRabbit
Summary: The letter changed it all for the orphaned, abused little runaway with the messy black hair and the green, green eyes. Cassie's life was going to change but with vengeful teachers, manipulative headmasters and an uncaring wizarding world would it be for the better. Dark but not evil or overpowered FemHarry, eventual Femslash. Pretty close to canon apart from the obvious.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so this idea has been driving me nuts for months so I've decided to give in and just write the bloody thing. For any one who is concerned, this story will run concurrently with my other fic Black Madness which is definitely not going to be stopped as I have invested far too much time and effort to just give it up.**

 **So here we go. This one will be much closer to canon and a lot less fun to write I suspect but I need to get it out of my head. Usual rules apply. It's going to be femslash pairing eventually and I still have issues with my language but I'm going to try and make this a T rating.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Updates will be sporadic. I'm warning you now.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **1\. Welcome to my World**

The girl awoke in the chilly August pre dawn to the sound of a truck unloading it's goods. She fumbled for her much repaired glasses and as her world came in to focus she looked at the cheap childs watch that sat on the over turned milk crate that served as her night stand. Five in the morning. Great. There were obviously downsides to using an abandoned warehouse as a makeshift hostel. She didn't mind the cold, she was well used to it by now as she was used to the wildlife that had the same idea as her and shared the dilapidated, cavernous two storey building with her. The beetles, the spiders even the rats didn't bother her, they had become her surrogate friends and an effective early warning system for the approach of any strange or official persons, so she was happy to share her meagre rations with them. No what really annoyed her was the constant stream of vehicles loading and unloading at the docking bay in the factory a hundred yards further down the industrial estate. Noisy buggers. Sleep thoroughly interrupted the girl decided to get up and get on with the business of the day.

First things first she thought a liitle bit of a tidy up before she headed into town. There were many things that the girl had learned in her time sleeping rough and one of the most important was that you never left anything where you slept that you either minded getting stolen or that could be traced back to you. All personal items went into her large shoulder bag that had once been used to deliver the morning papers in a suburb of Carmarthen that is until she had liberated it and repurposed it for her own uses. Not that she had much in the way of personal items. A few faded photographs of a red haired woman with sparking green eyes, a worn toothbrush and an old journal with a lion's head embossed into the cover that was blank other than an inscription on the fly leaf in what she assumed was her mother's hand saying it was the property of Lily Evans and a stark warning to not attempt to read it which confused her a little. Next was was things that would stay here to await her probable return tonight. The blanket was bundled up and stuffed inside the milk crate then it and the candles and matches hidden under some leaves in a dark corner of the upper floor. Lastly she strapped on the wristwatch and put her switchblade knife in her back pocket. She struggled into her boots, shrugged on her thick black hoodie and slung the bag and headed down the rickety stairs to cautiously look around before stepping in to dull grey light of another misty day in South Wales.

When she was about half way into the town a sign loomed up in front of her and the girl frowned and read it as she had done every day for the last three and a half weeks. She was nothing if not a creature of habit. Good habits kept you safe and out of the hands of Child Services.

 **Welcome Crosso**

 **City and County of**

 **Swansea**

 **Dinas a Sir**

 **Abertawe**

As a native Welsh girl it had always irked her that their nation had to pander to those too lazy or too stupid to learn their own language and culture. As a small child she had done so very early on reading everything that she could lay her hands on in both Welsh and English understanding that she would need both to be able to communicate effectively with those around her. Of course not being able to speak didn't help with her communication issues which is why she had also learned how to read lips and sign in both languages as well.

The girl had been mute since her third year of life when her Uncle Vernon, seemingly tired of her crying after a beating for dropping a saucer on the kitchen floor had taken steps to silence her by cutting out the toddler's voice box out with a pair of dressmaking scissors. It seemed harsh but she couldn't blame him really. Noisy children had always set her teeth on edge as well. She had probably deserved it and, after all, it was the appearance of the stumbling blood soaked child on the quiet Street in Aberystwyth where they had lived that had got her removed from the Dursley's and put into protective care. Protective care. There was a mis-nomer if there ever was one. Her time growing up in the hands of the South and West Wales child services department had been anything but protective or particularly carefull for that matter. Teachers, doctors, policemen and guardians at the shared homes. They were as blind to her bullying as she was mute.

She had managed five years, seven months and twelve days in the system before she had decided that enough was enough and one day went out to the library as usual and had simply never gone back. It had taken another eleven months, many mistakes and two re-captures and subsequent escapes but finally, at not quite ten years old, she had perfected the art living on the outskirts of society. Now just over a year later the girl was a hardened, cunning and wily street survivor stealing when it was safe begging when it was necessary and sleeping when and where she could. It was a hard and dangerous life and she was well aware of the perils of her existance having too many times watched from the safety of the shadows as girls and boys like her were robbed, beaten, raped and once even murdered for the change in their pocket or the clothes on their back or just because the animals that did it could. It had never happened to her. Not once in all her time living rough travelling the roads and by-ways between Haverfordwest and Cardiff and then back again. She knew it wasn't luck. She knew it was more than that.

The first time it happened had been shortly after she had first gone 'on the run'. She was being chased by a couple of coppers through a shopping mall having been caught stealing a box of power bars from a supermarket and she was coming to the end of the range of her short legs and out of breath the girl had thought to herself; I need to get away, I need a place to hide. And then it had happened. One minute she was running for her freedom through a food court and the next she was standing in an open air carpark at the top of the mall. To say it scared her would be rather a large understatement. The girl had been utterley terrified and so shaken that she had not managed to utilise this strange occurence to continue her escape and so ended up back in the 'care' of the social services. After some time to come to terms with her miraculous teleporting incident the girl had taken every opportunity to try to recreate the circumstances and after a few false starts it had happened again. Since then she had begun to practise and perfect and hone her abilities and to try out other things as well.

The girl had realised very quickly that it was all about her will. If she wanted something badly enough it would happen for her. Trial and error had revealed to her that as well as teleporting herself she coud make things come to her from quite a good distance away and that, very usefully, she could hide herself to the point of being effectively invisible. Now she knew full well that this wasn't normal but she also knew that it was far too good a thing to pass up especially given her living arrangements so she simply accepted it as a useful tool to help her and moved on. What was more disturbing to her, however was the thing happened at Tenby zoo a year ago to the day.

It had been a halfway between a fleeting whim and the necessity of spending a rainy day under cover without attracting too much adult attention that had guided her feet to the Wildlife Park. The security on the gate had been laughable and she had simply slipped her small body through the bars and into the zoo and headed sraight for the closest building to the entrance. The reptile house. Once inside she had stopped and gazed about her in awe and decided that she was going to stay put in here for the rest of the day. The place was lovely and warm and dry, that was true, but that wasn't why she was staying. She was staying for the dozens of beautiful, colourful, wonderful snakes that dominated her eyes and, most importantly, her ears. She heard them all and she understood them all and now she knew why her tongue had that tiny little forked tip, because she could 'speak' to them all. For someone who had never been able to speak to another human being this ability to talk to another creature was absolutely the the most wonderfully powerful experience of her young life and she stayed hidden in that reptile house for four long days and nights indulging herself fully. When she almost got caught and finally had to move on the girl had cried with the loss that had hit her like a ton of bricks the moment she was back on the road.

She had never forgotten the experience of conversing with those fabulous creatures and it was why she was now here risking capture in a petshop in Swansea spending twenty of her ill gotten and extremely hard to come by ten pound notes on a juvenile Borneo short tailed python. The shopkeeper had been rightly suspicious of her and she had barely got out of the door before she chanced a look back to see him pick up the phone and dial a very short number. The girl ran.

Out of breath and covered in sweat she reached her hideaway in the run down warehouse and held her beatiful new friend close and started cooing and chattering in the strange hissing language that was the only kind that she would ever be able to speak.

 _"I suppose I should learn a bit more about you if I'm going to take care of you shouldn't I Shortcake."_

 _"What is 'Shortcake' speaker?"_

 _"You are silly. It's your name. Don't you like it?"_

 _"Shortcake. It is ... acceptable."_

 _"Super. Now what do you like to eat?"_

Their conversation was cut short by a crash of glass and the screech of a very indignant sounding large tawny owl. The feathered beast seemed less than impressed by it's surroundings and by it's dramatic arrival through one the less broken windows in the building and fluffed and preened a little before dropping a yellow envelope in front of a very surprised girl and her snake. She reached down for the envelope and once it was in her hand the owl blinked at her slowly and took flight again in a flurry of dust and leaves. Written on the envelope in green cursive script was her name.

Cassandra Evans, The Abandoned Warehouse, Llantiroch Industrial Estate, Swansea, Wales.

Her head snapped up and she was immediately suspicious and looking for the authorities. Who the hell could possibly know that she was here. She had done everything perfectly, followed every proceedure, every self imposed rule, every small habit but still someone had found her. Someone knew she was here. She scooped up her belongings and ran once again.

Two days and thirty miles to the east in large stretch of woodland the girl huddled under her small shelter beneath an oak tree and fiddled with the yellow envelope. Now she felt safer and she was ready. She pulled out her swichblade and thumbed the release button and blade snapped out, five inches of gleaming, wicked steel. It slid through the paper like material like it was simply not there and the packet of documents fell out on to her lap. As she read the top sheet she realised that it was one of the few times in her life that even if she had suddenly been able to speak she would still be lost for words.

 _ **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**_

 _ **Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)**_

 _ **Dear Miss Evans**_

 _ **We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**_

 _ **Yours sincerely,**_

 _ **Minerva McGonagall**_

Her companion was not quite so lost for words.

 _"What does it say speaker?"_

 _"It says we've been invited to go to a school for witches."_

 _"Do you tust it it?"_

 _"No."_

 _"You don't trust anything."_ If a snake could snigger that's exactly what this one was doing.

 _"Am I wrong?"_

 _"In this case? Possibly. This is an opportunity for us speaker. We should go."_

The girl looked very hard at the all of a sudden insightful young python coiled around her forearm and gave the matter some thought as she perused the other pages in the welcome pack. She had no idea how to get to this Diagon Alley to get her school things, not that it mattered as she didn't have any money left to buy them with, and she even couldn't owl her response as she didn't have an owl. Would any of that matter? Oh well only one way to find out she supposed. She sighed. They had best gather supplies and get some rest. Kings Cross was a very long way.

Cassandra Evans was going to Hogwarts.

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well that was an unexpected reaction to chapter one. It seems you guys found it interesting as I woke up this morning to nearly twenty emails.**

 **In answer to nahte123456 The details for Kings Cross were in the welcome pack included with the acceptance letter. I apologize for not making that clearer. As for the Parseltongue issue that will be revealed later but I can say that canon is involved here. Reviews like yours are great because they make me think about what I'm writing and strive to do better.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **2\. Train Rides and Trust Issues**

It had taken nearly four weeks to get to Cardiff travelling on foot and mostly in darkness, avoiding all possible human contact due to her new obsession with personal security. She definitely did not want to be found by anyone. Not when they were so close to acheiving their goal of a new and potentially interesting little venture into the world of magical education at the witch school. She still didn't trust that this wasn't some elaborate ruse to lead her into a trap by the authorities but what had finally decided the girl to risk it was the opportunity to learn.

Cassandra Evans loved learning new things. She knew that she was behind in her education as normal schools were filled with teachers and healthcare professionals who would all want to have contact with her guardians and that was not something that she just could not provide no matter how many times she gave them the big green puppy dog eyes. Those people would not forget their duty. Libraries were a slightly better option but could still be dangerous if she visited one in particular too much and that was a shame because to her books held their own peculiar brand of magic. To lose herself in an unfamiliar world laid down by a skilled hand, be it fiction or fantasy or history or mathematics, to simply indulge herself in the glory of written word was to find an unending source of joy. It was just a shame that she didn't get to do it more often. It was easy to get books. She could borrow, lift or outright steal those but keeping them was another matter, they were heavy and cumbersome, they took up space and weighed her down and the really rare ones were dangerous. They could be traced. They got you caught. So having access to a library full of rare magical books that she could read with impugnity. Oh yes. That could make her risk a great deal.

So here she was sneaking past the platform guard on to Cardiff Station in the half light of the morning and hiding herself in the shadows to await the first commuter train to London. At six thirty five precisely as the automated door was just closing Cassandra slid into the second carriage at the furthest end from the guards van and looked for a good spot to sit. As gifted as she was at avoiding prying eyes a train was not exactly a great place to be if you wanted to not be noticed and she spent the entire four hour journey on tenter hooks as she attempted to play dodge the guard. It was, therefore, with a great deal of relief that the nervous young girl managed to slip beyond the barrier and out of Paddington Station into the dirty, crowded streets of London. It didn't help that she had to spend the next two days trying not to get arrested for vagrancy or picked up for shoplifting as she tried to keep herself and her python fed while at the same time trying to pick up some extra clothes for the school year. She didn't know much about where she was going but in her experience the winter was always cold anywhere in Britain and it was better to be prepared.

The cafe at Kings Cross was a great place to sit and observe as it gave an excellent view of both platforms nine and ten. She was nursing her rapidly cooling second cup of terrible coffee and checking the Hogwarts instructons one last time when out of her peripheral vision she caught sight of a large group of strange looking, red headed people approaching the wall between the two platforms. Suddenly interested she cleaned her grimy lenses and focused as one by one the ginger family walked straight at the wall and ... disappeared. Rising from her seat and nodding her thanks to the grease stained waitress she gathered her bag and sauntered almost lazilly to stop a couple of feet in front of the barrier. With a quick glance around the girl then shut her eyes and strode quickly and confidantly straight at the wall. And didn't stop.

When her eyes adjusted to the new reality Cassandra looked about her at the crowds youngsters running in and out of the garishly robed older people and laughing and shouting before they came to rest on the Hogwarts Express. She gazed in wonder at the great shiny red steam engine and it's old fashioned pulman carriages and for the first time since receving her acceptance letter she felt her excitement start to build. This was it she was really going. For how long that would be was yet to be decided as she had no uniform, no books, no supplies other than a couple of pads of paper and pack of ballpoint pens and not even any idea if the school fees had been paid. Well however long it was she would do her best to make the most of her opportunity. A whistle blast brought her musings to an end and she realised that it was time to board.

Making her way past fidgeting children trying to escape the tearful embraces of their parents she reached the edge of the platform and walked the length of the train until she found a relatively empty compartment and swung herself in. The girl had no desire to engage in any awkward non conversations with the other children and so tucked herself right up in an unoccupied corner, placed her bag on the seat next to her and removed her latest acquisition, a book on the ancient Druidic religion of Wales, and as the train pulled away she began to read. It wasn't long before the first interruption occured in the form of one the red heads she had seen entering the platform.

"I heard that Cassandra Evans is on the train. Have you seen her?"

She looked up at the boy with a glare and swept her messy hair out of her eyes. His face went white and he pointed rather rudely at her.

"The scar. It's you. Wow. Can I touch it?"

Cassandra slapped his advancing hand away slipped her own hand into her pocket feeling for the switchblade while she gave him one of her fiercest looks. The rude boy, realising that he had angered her, quickly backed off.

"Oh. Ummm. Yeah. Sorry. It's just that I'm so excited to meet you. You know. The girl who lived and all that. My name's Ron by the way, Ron Weasley."

She nodded briefly and turned back to her book hoping that he would get the hint. He didn't.

"So do you remember anything about it? You know, when Vo ...V ... _He_ gave it to you. When you beat him?"

She sighed heavily and looked up with a little confusion and quite a bit of malice evident on her delicate features and wondered if she was actually going to make it to the school gates before she was expelled. She was usually pretty mild mannered but this bloody moron was really starting to get on her wick now and her fiery Welsh temper was threatening to make an appearance. The day was saved by a bushy brown mane of hair attached to an impossibly short young, buck toothed witch entering the cabin.

"Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost his toad and we need to find it. Have you seen it?" The round faced blonde boy behind her looked rather sheepish and came hestantly inside.

"His name's Trevor."

Cassandra regarded the pair carefully. The boy looked painfully shy but harmless and the girl, interestingly, had a largish book sticking out of her pocket. If she was going to be forced to interact with people on this train ride she could probably do worse and besides they might keep the ginger idiot occupied so that he wouldn't keep talking to her and risking her boot in his arse. She sighed again, closed her eyes, held out her hand and concentrated on the picture in her mind of a fat green toad.

"Bloody Hell." Exclaimed Ron as the errant amphibian came shooting into her outstretched palm.

She gave Trevor the toad a little tickle under his chin and handed him off to the shocked looking Nevile.

"Bloody Hell."

"Is that all you know how to say young man?" The bushy haired girl looked speculatively at her noticing her shabby, dirty clothes, messy hair and broken glasses and the foreign looking book open in her lap and seeming to come to a decision nodded to herself and held out her hand.

"Thanks for doing that, it was very kind of you. I'm Hermione Granger and this is Neville Longbottom."

"This is Cassandra Evans, the girl who lived." Ron seemed to have remembered his big boy words. Unfortunately.

She glared at him while lightly shaking Hermione's hand and motioning for her and the boy to sit before returning to her reading. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the girl perching opposite her, glancing over and fidgeting while pretending to read her own book. She was obviously itching to ask some godawful question that she wouldn't have the answer to even if she could speak. Oh well, she thought, let's just get it over with. Hopefully the girl was a big enough gossip that she wouldn't have to go through this again. The next time Hermione glanced up she found the other girl looking at her with a raised eyebrow and a questioning, if resigned, look on her face. She took the opening.

"Are you really her? Cassandra Evans I mean."

She nodded cautiously.

"I've read all about you in Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. I have to say I'm impressed that you could do that summoning spell and to be able to do it wandlessly and wordlessly. That's realy difficult. Like Fifth year stuff difficult"

Another nod.

"You're very quiet aren't you." Hermione suddenly looked a bit worried. "I ... I haven't upset you have I? I know I can go on a bit, my Mum says that ... "

While she was chattering about what her Mum had said to her Cassandra reached into her bag and retrieved a pad of paper and one of her pens and started to write _;_

 _You haven't upset me but I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. What's with all this girl who lived stuff? By the way I'm quiet because I can't speak. No voice box or vocal chords._

Having finished her little missive she passed it to Hermione and sat back to watch the girl's reaction.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. You must think I'm such an insensitive cow." Hermione was extremely embarrassed and bright red by now but being who she was just ploughed on anyway even asking more questions before realising that Cassandra still couldn't answer her. "I'm such an idiot. I don't suppose you can sign can you? My cousin's deaf and my family all learned so that we could communicate with him. Why are you grinning? Mmmmph ..."

Cassandra placed her hand over the short girl's mouth and stared into big, warm chocolate coloured eyes before giving a firm nod and then moving her fingers to sign out the words;

 **You know you have a problem with verbal diarrhoea right.**

Hermione grinned back at her and nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh yes."

By the time the journey was half over two more boys, Dean and Seamus had joined them and they had a few more visitors including an incredibly rude and arrogant boy with slicked back blonde hair and his goons who she had simply pushed back out into the corridor before slamming the compartment door in their faces. That she did this without moving from her seat had stunned and impresed the five others in the carriage beyond measure. Unfortunately the noise woke her python who lazilly uncoiled himself from around her shoulders and peeked out from the confines of her hoodie. All the other occupants screamed and jumped back into their seats as the constrictor came out to investigate what all the noise was about.

"What the hell is that?" Shouted Ron.

"He's her short tailed python." A visibly shaken Hermione translated her signs. "Aparently his name's Shortcake and he's a sweetie." Not my opinion I'm just quoting her.

 _"Sorry lovely boy. Did I wake you?"_

 _"Yes. What's all the noise about?"_

 _"Just some unwanted guests. Go back to sleep Shortcake I'll wake you when we get there."_

 _"Oh dear. It seems that we've created a bit of a stir."_

He was not mistaken. In the few seconds that this exchange between the girl and her snake had taken the four boys had fled the cabin and could be heard up and down the carriage screaming and yelling about parseltongues, pythons and snakes on the ... that wasn't a very nice word ... train. Hermione on the other hand sat mesmerised glancing between her and Shortcake.

"You're a parseltongue." She stated. At Cassandra's confused face she tried again. "You can talk to snakes."

She nodded slowly with a guarded expression.

"That's really rare Cassandra. Like _super_ rare."

She had the feeling there was more to it than just being a rare gift and gestured for the girl to continue.

"Okay so historically speaking all the wizards who had this ability were sort of ... dark ... you know ... evil. That's why the boys all ran out of here screaming and stuff. Not that I believe you're evil. I think you're nice actually. _Super_ nice. Oh I've got some eggs in my bag do you think your little friend would like one. They're ever so fresh I just got the from the farm shop this morning and do you know what else they had there. Mmmph ... "

The delicate hand was back over her mouth again and the spakling green eyes were alight with amusement as Cassandra smiled at her, moved her bag and patted the seat next to her. They fed Shortcake the eggs and then she pointed at the book in Hermione's pocket and raised a quizical eyebrow.

"Oh it's called Hogwarts, a History. Would you like to read it with me?"

At Cassandra's nod of affirmation they settled in for the rest of the ride. She smiled to herself thinking that she had just made her first ever friend. Okay the girl was a bit of a wierdo and a fully fledged nerd with a bad case of word vomit but she knew that she wasn't exactly a prime catch herself. What did slightly concern her was the possible consequences of her being this parseltongue thing as it did seem to upset an awful lot of people. She wondered just how many of them would be avoiding her when they arrived and whether or not she actually cared. She had Hermione and they would be just fine.

Upon arrival at Hogsmeade the two witches disembarked and Cassandra's fears were realised as they seemed to have an invisible force field around them that ensured everyone tried to stay as far away as possible. Hermione drew her attention to the huge man shouting at them from the far end of the platform.

"Firs' years. Over here firs' years." He stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of her. "Oh my if it isn't lil' Cassie Evans. You don't 'arf look like your mum."

She smiled hugely at him and hugged as much of him as she could get her arms around. She was prepared to love this big oaf just for saying those words.

"Come on then into the boats. Only four to a boat now."

Cassandra and Hermione had one to themselves. It was more evidence that her gifts were not appreciated by anyone but them. Not that they minded really. They were having a lovely private boat ride with lots of interesting things to see while the bushy haired bookworm kept up a running commentry straight from the pages of Hogwarts, a History but even she shut up when the castle came into view. They simply sat side by side in the small craft and held hands while they gazed in awe at the magnificent building. Cassandra decided that if this was what having friends was like she wanted a lot more of it. Of course Hermione had to ruin the moment by speaking.

"Oh no. Cassie. What if we're not in the same House? Do you think they let you choose? I don't want to go in a different House to you that would be just awful wouldn't it. I'm sure they'll let us choose. We'll have to ask ... " She tailed off as her friend simply squeezed her hand, put her chin on her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes. "Right. We'll be fine."

The great hall at Hogwarts had never been so quiet for a sorting. The magnificence of the place seemed lost on the majority of the first years as they huddled together as far away as possible from the scruffy black haired witch at the centre of the line holding hands with her buck toothed friend and looking apprehensively at the ragged old hat on the stool. There was some subdued applause as the first few students were guided to their House tables and then it was her turn.

"Cassandra Evans."

As she disappeared under the hat it immediately started talking to her.

"My my. But aren't you an interesting little thing. Smart enough for the Claws, loyal enough for the Badgers, brave enough for the Lions and sly enough for the Snakes. Although it doesn't seem like any of them are going to exactly welcome you with open arms now does it little Miss parselmouth."

"Hermione says she's going to be in Gryffindor. That's where I want to be."

"You know this isn't actually a negotiation don't you dear." The hat chuckled. "Still your courage will probably see you through. Perhaps the old man was right on this occasion. Very well then ... "

"GRYFFINDOR"

She headed to the table that the Deputy Headmistress indicated in total silence and sat at the closest end to the teachers table and furthest from the rest of her new Housemates who all now seemed to be climbing over each other in their haste to get away from her. She didn't care. There was only one person's opinion she was interested in and in a few minutes said person sat demurely down next to her, flicked her insane bushy mane back and gave her a toothy grin.

"Told you. Nothing to worry about."

Sat in his throne at the head table Headmaster Albus Dumbledore looked gravely at the young green eyed witch and wondered how in Merlin's name the girl had managed to get this far after his interventions. Well she may be here for now but without a wand she surely wouldn't last long. He gave a grim smile and started to make his plans

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Three chapters in three days. This is some kind of record for me. Enjoy it while it lasts. Oh and a quick warning this one gets a bit grisly towards the end.**

 **Unanonymous; The clothing and school supplies issues will be addressed in this chapter. Thanks for your continued support.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **3\. Bad Girl Boogie**

Cassandra and Hermione had enjoyed a fun night of 'chatting', trying new spells, discussing what their professors would be like and not much sleep, they were as thick as thieves. The two outcasts had even pushed their beds together in the dorm to both give them a bit of privacy and to slightly allay the concerns of the two girls that they were sharing with. Dumbledore knew this as he knew everything else that happened in the castle. Portraits and elves made for excellent spies after all, and their close friendship concerned him slightly. He needed for the girl to be separated and abhorred by the students in order for her to make the ultimate sacrifice that needed to be made. He frowned as he thought of some inventive ways to successfully disentangle the two witches. Hmmm. Perhaps Quirrel and his 'on head lodger' could do it for him. All he needed to do was give them a little nudge and an opportunity to do so. If the bossy mudblood were disposed of in the process all the better. Halloween would probably be best he thought and popped another lemon drop, smiling at last.

"A moment of your time please Miss Evans."

Professor McGonnagal had caught the two girls on their way to breakfast and led them to her office. Or rather she had led Cassandra and Hermione had just tagged along for the ride unwilling to let go of Cassie's hand.

The Deputy Headmistress sat and looked up and raised an eyebrow in a well practised gesture of annoyance.

"I believe I only invited Miss Evans. Why are you here Miss Granger?"

"Translator." Hermione pointed at her bestie. "Because, you know, she can't speak. So she signs and I talk."

Minerva McGonnagal was not often caught by surprise and she didn't like it when it happened. Not one bit. Why hadn't the Headmaster told the staff that the girl couldn't speak it was the kind of thing that they needed to know as it was going to seriously impact the way that they would have to teach her spells. Be that as it may she was not going to let her frustration with the old man show. She huffed a little and tried to calm herself. Especially not in front of a couple of first years.

"Very well. There a few things that we need to talk about. First was going to be uniform but I see that issue has resolved itself." She looked the messy haired girl up and down taking in the ill fitting shirt, crooked tie and too short skirt topped off with a black hooded jumper. "Sort of"

"I lent her a few things as she doesn't seem to have any. Although I'm still not sure about the boots Cassie. I mean they're super nice and they're very ... _you_ but they must be awfully heavy and ..." She caught the Scottish professor's unamused eye. "Shutting up now."

"Second. I believe you have a pet that's not on the approved school list. Is that true?" At he girl's nod she continued. "May I see it?"

She leaned forward hoping to experience something that very few people ever had. The girl hissed gently for a while and a small snake soon appeared from beneath the back of her hoodie and looked piercingly at her. Minerva was extremely impressed but tried not to let it show.

"And you can speak to it?"

Another nod from the tense looking, silent girl.

"I think we'll just call that a familiar bond and move on shall we."

Cassandra sighed with relief. She had been dreading what would happen if they tried to take her Shortcake away from her and she had refused them. She would probably have been expelled after one day and although it would have been prpoerly impressive it would have made her whole trip here a bit pointless.

"Lastly, the elves tell me that you don't seem to have any luggage. Where are your text books and all your school supplies?"

"Oh, she doesn't have any professor because nobody showed up to take her to Diagon Alley so that she could go and get them. Isn't that your job? I mean you came and took me and my parents to ... are you alright professor? You look a bit pale."

"So you have nothing." She choked out finally. "Not even a wand?"

"No she doesn't although to be fair she doesn't actually have any money to buy anything with so it would have been quite a short shopping trip I suppose, wouldn't it."

Minerva was horrified. How could Albus have done this to one his own students. How could she have let him. Surely she would have remembered. Surely she would have argued against something on this scale of insanity. Surely she would have _remembered_. That devious old bastard. She did something next that she had done only once before, she made a snap decision and enforced it before she could be stopped and memory charmed again. The now very angry older woman grabbed a sack of gold coins from her desk and headed for the fireplace.

"Right. Come with me you two we're going to Olivander's."

Sitting in charms class Cassandra was having a lovely time swishing her pretty new wand around and making a myriad of rainbow coloured sparks . The wand was brilliant piece of equipment expertly fashioned out centuries old yew wood with a threstral hair core that focused her magic wonderfully and made every spell she tried at least ten times easier. The creepy old man at the wand shop had tried to fob her off with some holly and phoenix feather affair that had just felt all wrong to her despite it's impressive array of sparks that had emerged when she tried to use it and her suspicious mind had immediately concluded that the show was staged to get her to take it. She had given McGonnagal the old puppy dog eyes treatment and shook her head sadly and the formidable Scottish witch had buckled beneath her onslaught of cuteness and convinced the man to keep going until they had found this little beauty.

"Oh that's lovely Miss Evans."

The genial face of Professor Flitwick came bobbing into her view and she smiled back at him. He had been both concerned and somewhat intrigued by the rumours surrounding the daughter of his all time favourite student Lily Evans but had quickly dismissed any fears that he had. Not that the rumours were false mind you, he had caught a brief glimpse of her little python when it made an appearance to check out the noise in the classroom and her power was obvious and startling in it's intensity, it was just that she seemed to be dealing with her situation with such stoicism and panache. He returned her smile brightly and wandered off to check on the other students thinking that she was going to be real heartbreaker in the years to come. Just like her mother.

In potions class Severus Snape was not so convinced.

He had watched Cassandra's reactions very carefully as he belittled her and exposed her total lack of knowledge to the derision of entire class and had been a bit surprised when she had simply given him a single dark look then shrugged it off and contuinued reading from the board and helping her bushy haired, buck toothed, muggle born friend. The sour faced, sharp witted man continued in his observations not quite believing his own eyes when the girl had stopped Miss Greengrass from making a potentially explosive mistake and showing her how to crush her betel nut before attempting to chop it. The blonde haired Slytherin princess' mask had almost slipped at this point and she had given the girl the very slightest of nods in thanks. Somewhere he was sure that Hell was freezing over and decided that when the class ended they wouuld be having a little chat.

"Evans stay behind. The rest of you may go."

In a few minutes the potions master looked up at two rather confused faces.

"Why are you still here? Is your name Evans?"

"Well no but you see I'm her unofficial trans ... "

"Leave."

Hermione gave her an apologetic look and fled.

Snape gazed at the young woman trying to remember exactly how he had wanted this discussion to go when she seemed to sense his hesitation and gave him a smile and a small wave. This singular action was so reminiscent of the eleven year old Lily that he thought his heart would explode from the uprising of his bittersweet memories of his own school days. He coughed to cover his distress and decided that he needed to find out just what had happened to the girl to make her so insightful and so bloody annoying.

"Evans. The Headmaster tells me that you are just as arrogant and impetuous as your idiotic father and that you hold some kind of a ridiculous grudge against me." He paused for any reaction. None was forthcoming. "Having observed you at close hand I have decided to defer my judgement on this matter until I have dicovered for myself your talents and motives or lack thereof."

The girl shrugged and nodded.

"On that subject I would like you to submit to a reading of your memories. It is not painfull or harmfull to you and will set my mind a little more at ease if I know that you're not plotting to poison me or blow me up. I will, however, be able to see all of your innermost thoughts. Do you agree?"

She paused obviously thinking about what was being sugested after a couple of minutes nodded slowly.

"Thank-you Evans." He said, established eye contact and slipped into the girl's mind.

Twenty minutes later the shocked professor rose and went into his store room to compose himself. Whatever he had been expecting the unending litany of hardships that he had just witnessed the girl live through had not even been close to it. He now understood her deep mistrust of adults and her almost desperate desire for friendship and human contact a little better and knowing this meant he would have to be very carefull how he treated her if he wanted to help the girl. He gathered a few things and returned to the classroom where the small witch with Lily's eyes sat hissing and chattering to her pet snake, seemingly none the worse for her first brush with leglimancy.

"Ahem. This is a spare potions kit that I keep for emergencies. You may use it in this class and in this class only. It will be kept on this shelf for you." His dour countenance softened briefly. "I remember your mother using it when she first came here."

Cassandra appeared to be paying attention while at the same time fishing in her bag for something. He continued.

"This book is your text book for this year. A Beginners Guide to Potions and Potion Making. Read it, study it, learn it. It is the basis of everything else we will do. It is also my copy and I will require it back at the end of the year."

As he looked back up at her he was surprised to see her holding out four muggle photographs or him to see. As he took them his heart again seemed to want to stop.

"Lily. Your mother. She was a very beautiful person." Regretfully he handed them back. "Off with you now. I have many important things to attend to."

Girl and snake both looked up at him appraisingly then she nodded, put the book into her bag, paused and slid one of the photographs across the desk. Giving one final nod to the utterly shocked potions professor she turned and left the room.

What a fabulously fun day thought Cassandra as she climbed into her warm, comfy bed that night, I hope that they're all like this. They wouldn't be. Eight weeks later due to the thoughtless remarks of a ginger moron and the manipulative machinations of a bitter old man it all came crashing down.

As she came sliding around the corner into the waterlogged bathroom the troll was taking another huge swing with his club at the retreating scared, figure of Hermione. It just missed the lttle witch but its arcing momentum took out the top half of the stalls as well as a good chunk of the nearest toilet bowl spilling more water onto the already soaked floor. The black haired girls face darkened and with her wand in her left hand and her switchblade in her right she advanced on the monster that was trying to kill her friend. One swift stab to the creature's thigh got it's attention and while Hermione screamed her lungs out the two armed combatants went at each other with a will.

The troll was strong but the girl was fast and for three whole minutes they traded blows. Cassandra was doing pretty well she thought as she observed the mass of slices and cuts on her opponent's legs while avoiding the gnarled tree trunk once again being waved too slowly at her and it was too late when she realised that he hadn't been aiming at her but at the floor in front of her. The small shockwave knocked all her breath out of her and put her on her bum and she knew that she had to end this quickly. She scrambled up onto the broken toilet bowl pointed her wand at the water and glancing at the still screaming Hermione stiffened her resove and willed it to freeze. The troll slipped on the ice and hit the floor hard and was just about to get up when Cassandra jumped on his chest and drove her knife into his eye as he tried to batter her against the sinks..

The three professors arrived just in time to see Cassandra Evans, covered in blood, repeatedly stabbing the prone troll in his left eye when with a final grunt of effort she smashed her entire forearm through the foul creature's eye socket. before almost collapsing off of it's twitching body.

The shocked silence was only broken by the limping girls faltering, slippery steps heading towards the back of the bathroom. She held out her hand to Hermione, her newest, best and only friend in the world to help her up and stopped short as her world crumbled around her. The bushy haired girl looked up at her with a terrified expression and whimpered as she scuttled further into the corner. Hermione was terrified. Of her. She had ruined everything. Cassandra's shoulders slumped and she bit back tears as she turned and stumbled painfully to the entrance before passing out in the arms of a very surprised Severus Snape.

On her release from the tender mercies of Madame Pomphrey the next afteroon Cassandra took off directly to Gryffindor tower and after some small disagreement with the painting of the fat lady that involved her banging her fist into the frame she entered and headed up to the first year girls dorm. The first thing she noticed was that the beds had been moved. Hers was now alone in it's corner far away from the other three. The next thing was that Hermione's trunk was now in between the other girls. For protection. From her. The girl removed her borrowed uniform, folded it neatly and placed it on the trunk, then she retrieved her bag got dressed and looked around the comfortable dorm room sadly before leaving for what would be the last time. She exited the tower, shut the painting with an overly firm thump and made for her next class.

Later that night dressed once more in her still scruffy, if now clean, cargo pants and hoodie the girl wandered the corridors of the old castle with her bag slung over her shoulder looking for a place to sleep. Her eyes fell upon a recessed bay window with a four foot deep platform and she stopped to rest. It wouldn't do for her to bed down here as sleeping next to glass was always significantly colder but right now she just wanted to sit down and have a bit of a breather. She surveyed her surroundings as she sat drumming her heels on the panelling, noticing the well situated bathroom a few yards down the corridor and the stairs opposite that led down to the Hufflepuffs dungeon accomodations before she stopped and listened intently. The thumps of her heels were echoing. The platform was hollow. With a kind of dull excitement she thumbed the catch of her knife and pried the panel loose to reveal a four foot deep by eight foot long crawl space filled with cobwebs.

After she had made her little nest more cosy with some pilfered blankets and pillows the girl climbed in, pulled the panel back into place and lit her wand with a silent (obviously) lumos spell. In the eerie glow she arranged her meagre belongings and finally lay down studying her switchblade. The knife that she had used to butcher that troll who was trying to kill her friend. The knife that had lost her her only friend. She wanted to throw it away. She wanted to destroy it but her old instincts that had been hard learned in her short, brutal life kicked in. Survival was her top priority and the blade was too useful a tool to let go. She siged and refolded the switchblade putting it back in her pocket thinking all the things she had experienced in the last two months. For sixty glorious days she had experienced the thrill and the joy of true friendship. For one brief shining moment she had achieved happiness. And now it was over.

 _"It's just us now Shortcake."_

 _"As it should be speaker."_

 _"Can you, can you call me Cassie from now on."_

 _"I will try."_

The girl extinguished the light and pulled the blanket close.

 _"Goodnight Shortcake."_

 _"Goodnight ... Cassie."_

For the first time since she had lived with the Dursleys Cassandra Evans curled up in on herself and cried herself to sleep.

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ooookay. Yeah. Soooo. I did that. The thing you need to remember is that, as much as I love writing Hermione, at this point this is not some fluffy friend fic about the Gryffindor golden girls. This is about a severely damaged, distrustful young girl coming to terms with her new life circumstances. It will get better for her but it will take time.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **4\. Lonely this Christmas**

The next few weeks passed slowly for Cassandra and she found that she was slipping back into her old habits of hiding herself away from everyone which was made considerably easier by her discovery of the entrance to the school kitchens. She now took all her meals there with the elves, who seemed to accept the reality of her presnce even if they didn't actively welcome it, in an attempt to distance herself from the scared looks and dark mutterings which were directed at the girl who had slaughtered a fully grown troll with nothing but a pocket knife. Rumours abounded about her run in with the beast and ranged from her using Hermione as a human shield and getting in a lucky shot while it's back was turned (Draco Malfoy) to her beating it to death with her bare hands and then being restrained by several professors from going after the other girl next (Ron Weasley). As far as the other students and staff were concerned if she had been trying to save her fellow first year surely the Headmaster or her House head would have awarded points for such a supreme and heroic act of bravery. No. One of the darker explanations was undoubtably correct. It didn't exactly help that Hermione seemed to be totally unwilling or unable to talk about the incident and had taken to hiding behind Lavender and Parvati when ever the black haired witch was within a hundred yards of her and it was to the relief of the general population of Hogwarts that she had stopped turning up to meals in the Great Hall in the second week of November.

The thing that was most damaging to her reputation, however, was the stubborn and absolute refusal of the Headmaster or any of his staff to dispell these ludicrous rumours by giving an accurate account of the events in the second floor girls bathroom that evening. Of the three who had been present, Dumbledore didn't want to say anything as his plans for the girl were in much better shape with her being despised and ignored, McGonnagal couldn't say anything as she had been memory charmed again after arguing vehemently with the Headmaster and Snape exercised his Slytherin survival instincts by keeping his mouth shut and seeming to go along with the old man while subtly helping Cassie from the shadows.

The next potions lesson after her bloody knife work he had moved her to the front of the class and instructed her to work alone ostensibly so that he could 'keep an eye on her' and also to 'protect the other students from her dark and viscious temper' but in reality it just let her work unmolested for the duration of the class. He also made sure to give her at least one detention in every lesson for being out of uniform and to teach her humility. These after class sessions were very far from a punishment though, the professor caught up with his marking while the girl did her homework or read in peace without having to suffer the stares and whispers of her peers.

Defence against the Dark Arts was another lesson in which she was segregated from the rest of the class although professor Quirrel seemed to prefer that she was sitting on her own in the very back corner of the room as far away from him as possible. Cassie wondered if the man was afraid of her before dismissing the idea as preposterous and deciding that the stuttering professor simply didn't like her very much. It was odd, however, that he was the one teacher who never even tried to give her detentions although he had perhaps heard from the other members of staff that she had one pretty much every night from now till the new year with Snape for her 'appalling attitude and slovenliness'. Not that she minded being placed so far from him no matter what the reason. Professor Quirrel quite literally gave her a monster of a headache.

It was in one of Snape's 'detentions' that Cassie decided to try and get a bit of information about her family out of the stern looking man and possibly have a little fun at his expense. She approached the chalkboard and knocked on the frame to gain his attention before she began to write.

 **Everybody says how nice and how clever my Mam was but nobody talks about my Dad. Is it because he was a bit of a bastard?**

Severus Snape coughed nastilly and looked like he was choking on a particularly sour lemon.

"James Charlus Potter, your father, was a brute and a braggart and a fool. He and his cronies, the princes of Gryffindor, liked to think that they were pranksters but they ruled this place through bullying and fear. I knew he'd never do right by my Lilypad but she could never see it. I knew he'd never marry ..."

He stopped short. Damn. He'd let his anger at his old enemy get the better of him and had revealed much more than he had intended to the girl.

 **So that's a yes then. You're not very Slytherin when you talk about my parents are you.**

He gave her a calculating look and realised that he had just been played like a very fne violin by an eleven year old girl. She was definitely her mother's daughter. He tried very hard to keep his permanent scowl from morphing into a grin at her audacity.

"keep that forked tongue behind your teeth you cheeky little serpent and get on with your homework."

She smirked and poked the aforementioned forked tongue out at him before running back to her books.

Her study of the ancient druidic religion had been keeping her busy in her down time and she was becoming enthralled and fascinated by it's mulitude of gods and godesses and it's rites and rituals. What was really interesting her at the moment was the fact that it tied in very closely with what some in the wizarding community called 'the old ways'. Both celebrated the solstice's and had festivals like Beltaine and Samhain in common and she was perfectly willing to adopt the magical's version of the faith but in her view it needed to incorporate more of the epic songs and poems of her homeland. The dirge of Beli Mawr was a particular favourite of hers the girl having heard it performed by a beautiful young harpist and singer at an Eidsteddfod she had sneaked into when she was nine. The girl was so lovely and the tune so haunting that the performance had burned itself into her soul to be brought out and relived in her darkest and loneliest hours.

It was with this pleasant memory running though her thoughts and comforting her troubled mind that she returned to her cramped sleeping quarters on the eve of the Winter Solstice.

When she opened the panel to her sleeping nest on the morning of the students' departure for the Winter Holidays, the next day, the first thing Cassie saw was a brightly wrapped parcel about the size of her bag sitting right in front of her. She studied it very carefully and realising that it did indeed have her name on the attached envelope the little witch blinked once and looked around suspiciously for any evidence of traps or pranks before pulling it inside.

As both Cassie and the package disappeared behind the improvised wooden door a pair of brown eyes watched from the shadow of the stairs leading down to the Hufflepuff common room and an over excited redheaded girl let out a muffled squeal of delight before running off to pack.

Safe in her nest and by the muted light of her wand the green eyed girl considered this package that was obviously intended as a gift of some kind and a flame of hope briefly flickered in her heart as she realised that it could be a peace offering from Hermione. With trembling hands she slit the envelope with her knife and teased the enclosed note out with two fingers a little wary that this could still be a nasty trick of some kind. When nothing bad happened she carefully opened the folded piece of parchment and started to read;

 _You don't know me but I've watched you since the start of term and I don't believe the things people say about you or that you are even slightly evil. I would like to one day be your friend when you're ready to trust someone again but I'm shy and you're ... you ... so for now I thought that a simple Christmas present would be a good start to show you that somebody still cares. Please don't open it until the twenty fifth._

 _Merry Christmas._

 _Your future friend (hopefully)_

Cassie blinked again, surprised. Well it certainly wasn't Hermione. She knew the bushy haired girl's handwriting almost as well as her own and this spidery scrawl most definitely wasn't it. In one sense she was a little disappointed that it wasn't from her former bestie reaching out to her but in another it gave a feeling of hope. Someone out there thought that she was worth the effort of getting to know. Even after all the rumours and all the fear mongering someone still wanted to be her friend. She knew that hope was a dangerous thing to have for a person in her situation and that she should just throw the damn package in the fire along with it's letter. Better to squash her dreams herself now rather than have somebody else do so later when it would hurt her so much more. She knew what she should do but somehow she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she resealed the sweet little note in it's envelope and put it into her inside pocket, next to her heart, and slowly smiled. For the first time ever she would have a present to open on Christmas day. She was really looking forward to it.

The girl spent her days in the library and her evenings in the potions classroom finishing off her Holiday homework or reading ahead to get a jump start on the new term. She and the dour professor Snape had come to enjoy their time together as neither was much for conversation (especially Cassie obviously) but they had reached a place where each was content to just be in the others company and work without too much in the way of distraction and had even started taking their evening meal together. But as Christmas day got closer the girl found herself more and more fidgety and excitable and an increasingly irritated Severus Snape had banished her from his presence until she had calmed down a bit. Finally the big day had arrived and having cast a quick diagnostic scan, that had taken ages to find in the library, over her parcel Cassie re-read her letter and at last tore into the bright wrapping paper to reveal her long awaited first present.

On the other side of the country Amelia Bones was sipping her breakfast coffee and staring intently at her niece. She wasn't the head of the Ministry's Department for Magical Law Enforcement for nothing and all her well honed instincts told her that Susan was up to something. The girl hadn't stopped fidgeting all morning and kept checking her pocket every few minutes as if expecting some kind of call or an alarm to go off. Perhaps she had pulled a prank on one of her professors or a class mate who had stayed behind for the Holidays and was awaiting confirmation of some kind. Amelia admitted to herself that this was highly unlikely as her sister's only child had always been an extremely well behaved little girl. Still as she was reminded every day at work, it was always the quiet ones that you had to be carefull of and perhaps on some reflection the girl had been all together _too_ well behaved of late. She had expected at least a bit of rebelliousness to start emerging once Susan went off to Hogwarts but there was nothing. Not a single crossed word or stamped foot. Nothing. This made her very suspicious. There was something going on and one way or another she would most definitely be finding out what it was.

Across the table from her Susan could barely contain her excitement. Pranks, however, were the furthest thing from her mind at the moment. This was because she was currently waiting for the acceptance charm that had been placed on the gift she had left for Casandra Evans to go off and inform her that the other girl had opened and activated her present. As the ward of the Minstry of Magic's top copper her behaviour had always been under very close scrutiny and she had strived to live up to her Auntie's exacting standards. Like most good girls though Susan discovered that she had a bit of a penchant for bad boys or in her case bad girls. With her Aunt Amelia acting as both a role model and the closest authority figure to kick against she had found herself attracted to stories about strong women like the sweet, beautiful and popular Lily Evans who had shockingly gone bad having had a child out of wedlock with a married man before redeeming herelf in the fight against he who must not be named. To discover, upon attending school, that her childhood heroine's daughter was just as much of a mixture of sweet and rebellious and violently dangerous to boot had caused her to go into paroxisms of joy and she had made up her mind to befriend the girl as soon as posssible. Her first impulse to run straight to the green eyed beauty's side had been curtailed when she saw how poorly Cassie was treated by pretty much everyone up to and including her Headmaster and a more long term strategy had quickly been implemented the first stage of which was her anonymous Christmas gift.

She shrieked when the charm in her pocket went off with a loud, shrill note and Susan hid her giggles and her reddening face behind her hands as her Auntie attempted to clean up her spilled coffee from the tablecloth and glared at her menacingly.

"Right young lady, what exactly is going on here?"

Cassandra was staring in shock at the exquisitely formed book bag on her lap and it took her several minutes before she noticed the tag hanging from the clasp had a message written on it;

 _Walter White's extendable carry sack personally and exclusively designed for C. Evans. Tap the clasp with your wand to key the enchantments directly to yourself. We hope that you enjoy our offering and recommend us to your friends._

 _White & Co. _

_Suppliers of luxury luggage to the wizarding community since 1742._

She pulled out her wand and followed the instructions. A brief glow surrounded the satchel and her hand and thoughts of a prank surfaced once more only to be wiped away as a little bell went off and the bag opened to reveal it's contents. Inside the bag was split into several different compartments and she noticed that three of these were full. The first held two complete sets of Hogwarts uniform with a plain black outer robe and black tie, the second was filled with various different potions supplies and the third and most interesting held her favourite thing in the world. Books. She mostly ignored the text books and reached straight for a well thumbed and used paperback. Wiping the rapidly forming moisture from her eyes as she reverently read the title; The Life and Death of Lily Evans, Britain's Wildest Witch. She opened the slim volume and silently thanked her mysterious benefactor as she turned to the first chapter and began to read.

Sitting in her customary seat in the potions classroom Cassie surrupticiously pulled the book about her mother's history from her bag and hid it inside a large herbology text. She really didn't want Snape to catch her reading it. Like him the un-named author seemed to have a bit of a soft spot for Lily and tried to be complimentary even in her more outrageous moments and adventures. Also like her professor they appeared to be quite scathing of James Potter although, unlike him, they at least tried to be diplomatic about it. She could understand that as the Potters looked to be old money and were the very definition of pureblood propriety and one didn't get very far in the publishing business by openly attacking the pillars of society after all.

 _"Are we reading it again Little Cass. What's this. The fourth time or the fifth?"_

The little python had wound itself around her shoulders poking it's head out of her jumper by her ear and appeared to be reading along with her.

 _"It's the fourth time thank-you very much and hush up now before Professor Grumpy Pants catches us."_

Shortcake rubbed his head against her cheek and seemed to snigger.

 _"So what if he does. He's your best friend in this place after me."_

 _"You know I don't think that's entirely true, Shortcake. He seemed as surprised by my Christmas present as I was. So it stands to reason that there is at least one other."_

 _"Are you going to try and find out who it is?"_

 _"No I think I'll let them come to me in their own time. It's how I would want to do do it."_

"Keep it down Evans your constant chattering is giving me a headache."

She poked her tongue out at him and smirked, his lip gave the faintest of twitches and they both went back to their respective books.

 **A/N; I always thought that the niece of such a powerful and important woman as Amelia should have had a lot more about her and that such a potentially interesting character was sadly under used both in Canon and Fanfics. Well it's time for our little Hufflepuff Hottie, Susie B. to step into the limelight.**

 **By the way she is my number one contender for Cassie's future love interest, but I'm happy to take suggestions if you guys disagree.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**So we're skipping ahead a bit here to the climax of Cassandra's first year. It's showdown time. Are you excited. I'm excited. This is actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **5\. Dirty Deeds.**

Cassandra span on her toe as elegantly as a prima ballerina and ducked as the stinging hex whizzed past her shoulder to impact harmlessly on the wall outside the charms classroom. It had been going on for a while now. After Christmas they had grown bolder, after Easter her lack of reaction had encouraged them and things had escalated. Hexes in her her back. Curses from the shadows. It seemed to be open season on her at the moment and from the variety of colours she had glimpsed as her attackers ran from her vengence it was not restricted to any one house. After the first few times she had stopped running after the miscreants and started to use some of her skills, well honed through years of practice, to avoid detection. The hunters had then switched tactics from striking in the hallways and stairwells to laying in wait near the exits of her classes and detentions, as everyone seemed to suddenly know her schedule somehow and since this change up her reflexes had improved exponentially. From avoiding being seen to avoiding being hit, for the most part Cassie remained uninjured. Now it appeared that the tactics were changing again.

"Hey Evans. Granger wants to see you. She's just around that corner in the trophy room."

Of course it was a trap.

Her eagerness to get back on good terms with her first friend had completely over-ridden her natural suspicion of somebody she didn't know delivering a probably false message and had led her right into an ambush in a room with three sixth year Slytherins and only one exit. Marcus Flint being not the sharpest tool in the shed had evidently believed Draco's entirely fabricated version of the events in the girls bathroom at Halloween and had set her up to prove to the entire school exactly who was the biggest badass at Hogwarts. And he would. Just not quite in the way that he had imagined it.

"Duelling time oh girl who failed to die. Here comes the pain."

She may not have had his repetoire of curses availlable, not being an upper year or a pureblood heiress, but unfortnately for Flint and his two less than intelligent friends her idea of duelling involved wandless disillusionment, rapid movement and plenty of physical violence to compensate for her lack of training. The Slytherin quidditch captain had barely started his first incantation, a nasty little hex that if it hit would have given her a good few hours of vomiting up fat slugs, when his opponent simply disappeared. He was about to start howling his displeasure about this breach in duelling etiquette when he felt his knee scream in pain and collapse. The thoroughly confused other boys looked around for their leader's assailant and too slowly began to move in his direction hoping to cut off the girl's escape. She, however, was already gone. When they were almost on top of him and presented a nice big target their victim turned invisible stalker banished all three of them into the wall hard enough to dislodge a few bricks and summoned their wands with ease from their limp and unconscious fingers. Cassie used Flint's wand to perform a full body bind on the three stooges and then branded a fair representation of Shortcake into each of their foreheads with the lit tip. This done she slipped the knuckle duster, crudely fashioned from bent masonary nails that she had found in one of Hagrid's sheds, off her right hand, tipped over a couple of cabinets to make it look a bit less like the one sided affair that it actually was and skipped off to the kitchens for her lunch trying not to grin. That was fun.

Fun as it may have been Cassie's little introduction to the world of wizard's duels had also annoyed her a great deal. As she sat in the hard chair at the kitchen table among the nervous elves and stabbed violently at her fish salad she felt her temper growing. How bloody _dare_ they. She had given them a chance. She had turned the other cheek and those sneaky, cowardly bastards were still going after her. Well, enough was enough. Tonight she was going to put an end to this situation. For good.

That evening Susan Bones watched in awe and delight as for the first time in over six months Cassandra Evans entered the great hall, stalked straight up to the podium, turned to face them all and rapped sharply on the aged wood. Not that she needed to get anyone's attention Her mere presence here tonight had done that. Next she held aloft three wands and pointed to a heavily bruised, pasty looking Macus Flint seated at the top of the Slytherin table with the angry red snake tattoo still clearly visible despite the best efforts of Madame Pomfrey. A loud hissing erupted from her mouth and the ever growing python slithered out from her shirt to wrap itself around the pieces of magical wood in her hand. At a single hissed command there was a loud crack followed by a multitude of gasps and three very embarrassed and mournful groans. The green eyes shone with fury as she slammed the broken wands on the floor on her way out of the hall with her black robe billowing almost as impressively as Snape's. The message had been delivered, recieved and understood. Evans hunting season was over and Susan had gratefully received yet another glorious Cassie related memory for her fevered dreams.

The angry girl was almost at the starcase before Filius Flitwick caught up to her.

"Miss Evans."

Even with his famous duellists reflexes the half goblin was hard pushed to get his shield up before the torch complete with it's sconce that came flying from the wall could take his head off. This was precisely why he had volunteered to go after her, with his reactions he was sure that he could ride out whatever she threw at him and then calm her down enough to have this conversation with her. He eyed the girl cautiously, and as she reached into her bag he tensed for another attack. As the seconds passed and she pulled nothing more threatening than a muggle notepad and pen from her surprisingly stylish accessory, he relaxed a little.

 **Sorry.**

One word with a picture of a crudely drawn sad face next to it.

"No harm done Miss Evans. Perfectly understandable in the circumstances."

His heart skipped a beat as she gave him a very Lily esque coquettish smile.

"Others, I'm afraid, will be less understanding. For example, the Headmaster would like a word with you in his office. Now, now dear don't worry I'll be right there with you. After all the attacks that have been aimed at you recently I think that we can make rather a good case for a pre-emptive strike in the name of self defence."

At her shocked face he chuckled darkly.

"Did you really think that I hadn't noticed Miss Evans? Well, come along let's not keep the Headmaster waiting."

The meeting in the Headmaster's office was not going well. Snape had been watching the Evans girl very closely this year in their shared meals as well as their detentions and he knew by her facial expressions when she was interested or bored or feeling mischevious or angry. Right now she was fuming. Flitwick was making a valiant attempt to stand up for her, bless him, but the old man was being totally unreasonable. All in his own 'It's for the Greater Good' style of course. Bastard.

"I don't care how long it's been going on Filius or who started it. The punishment stands."

"When I discovered that one of Miss Evans' tormentors was one of my prefects I stripped the young man of his badge and his position immediately and if it were up to me he would have been expelled." Here he shot a nasty look at Dumbledore. "I do not abide bullies in my House and neither should you."

"Don't you think that's a bit harsh Filius I mean, boys will be boys and all that."

Snape moved imperceptably closer to Cassie ready to intercept the girl if her temper broke and she attacked the old fool as he found that he rather enjoyed her company and really didn't want to go back to eating alone. Then he realised something. He's trying to wind her up. He's goading her into taking some kind of action. Now what could that be. Quirrel and that damned stone. He's been planning this from the start, setting her up to be feared, hated and isolated, basically condoning the massive and school wide bullying campaign against her with his silence and then when she finally does react he punishes her and pushes the girl into some kind of act of retaliation against him. Like stealing the rare and dangerous item that he informed the entire student body of when they arrived in September. He knows that she's a competent thief as well as a paranoid loner, this was his plan all along and judging by the chips of green ice that were glaring at him from under the girl's long black mop of hair it was going very nicely for him. Damn the man.

Cassie's eyebrow rose as she opened the door on the third floor corridor and contemplated the sleeping cerberus. Must be one of Hagrid's pets. She knew all about the big man's taste in animal companions as she had spent a good few detentions in accompaying him and his menagerie on his trips into the forbidden forest gathering Godess knows what for the professors' store cupboards. A three headed hell hound could have been a real handful but at least the hairy goofball hadn't been able to put Norbert up here, that would have been just stupidly dangerous. Norbert. Yes now there was a lesson in manipulation for you. She had first come across the baby dragon on one of her non detention related visits to his shambolic home for afternoon tea and rock cakes (that tasted a bit like actual rocks) and had marvelled at both his naivety and his susceptability to suggestions including orphaned creatures and puppies. Having been bitten twice and set on fire in the week following her discovery Cassie had decided to try a small act of morally ambiguous manipulation of her own in an attempt to keep him out of prison and her with all of her requisite appendages. She was fully aware of how certain of the Hogwarts staff reacted when she pulled off one of her mother's trademark looks and had employed what Hagrid referred to as the 'disappointed but angry Lily puppy glare' against him. The huge, gruff man had, of course, folded instantly and Norbert was shipped off to a dragon reserve through the endeavors of one of his shadier friends by the end of the day. Turning back to the dozing, oversize doggy she pondered what sort of powerful being could do that to a beast of this size and thought that if she continued with her robbery plans she was probably going to find out. Perhaps she should just stop, go back to bed and see the year out in safety.

She grinned to herself and snorted in amusement. Yeah right. That was going to happen when she had just stumbled upon the perfect opportunity to stick one on the doddery old idiot who had managed to not only fail to protect her all year but actually made matters worse by his silence and his refusal to punish the wrongdoers. She hated bullies and hypocrites and he was both and she was damned well going to give him a metaphorical black eye by stealing this precious thing from right under his hooky old snout. Now if only she could work out how to give him a real black eye as well it would be the perfect end to her school year. Cassie squared her shoulders and dropped through the trap door.

An hour and twenty minutes later she stood in front of the potions table still brushing stone chips from her robe and somewhat regretting her decision to push on with this little adventure. The set up laid out in front of her looked a like potions quiz but reeked of a logic trap. Bugger. She may be rather good at potions, considering all her extra sessions with professor Snape, but she was mediocre at best when in came to matters of logic. Hermione could have solved it in seconds. Her green eyes began to tear up.

Stop it.

This was neither the time nor the place for wallowing in self pity. She was on her own and that was just the way it was and she would have to do this thing herself. Still there may be a way around this if she could identify the firewalking elixir by smell then Cassie would be able to effectively circumvent the task at hand. She uncorked the first vial, lifted it to her nose and sniffed. It smelled _wrong_. Ten minutes later she was down to two vials and having taken her courage in hand picked up the left hand one preparing to drink.

 _"Not that one Cassie."_

Her python hissed in her ear making her jump.

 _"Really?"_

 _"Really."_

 _"How do you know?"_

 _"Instinct."_

Shortcake could have given her any number of reasons but he decided to go with one that his mistress would be most willing to accept. Cassie was a survivor and almost animalistic herself. The girl could understand the imperitive of the survival instinct above all else. The black haired witch nodded imperceptibly in gratitude to her familiar and drank the potion on the right. Then she closed her eyes and strode confidantly forward into the flames.

The next room contained nothing but a raised dais and an ornate, if dusty, tall old mirror. Well that was a bit of an anticlimax she thought. Where's the loot?

In a matter of minutes treasure was the last thing on her mind as the image in the extraordinary mirror held her entranced in feelings of utter delight. A teenaged and pretty impressively endowed version her stood in the centre with an eight foot snake around her shoulders clasping the hand of an absolutely angelic looking older Hermione who was gazing at her adoringly. Behind the trio stood a smiling woman who resembled an ancient Celtic godess, all red hair and lissom figure and sporting her own glittering green eyes. Cassie was still gawping at the wonderous object in awe and failed to notice something hard dropping into her pocket as a coughing laugh from the shadows interrupted her reverie. Regretfully she turned around to glare at the figure shuffling towards her.

Quirrel.

 _"Be carefull little Cass, he is not who he seems."_

"Your pet is correct. _Miss Evans_. But of course snakes do have highly developed senses where my kind are concerned so this does not surprise me."

Gone was the twitching, stammering, turban wearing man who had tried his absolute best to stay as far away from her as possible all year. Quirrel now looked ... okay pretty bloody awful truth be told, but somehow straighter and calmer and much, much more dangerous.

 _"I didn't know you spoke parsel."_ Hissed Cassie.

"Oh my host doesn't. I, however, most certainly do."

The man in the purple robes turned around slowly and Cassie flinched as she came face to face with the features of the monster on the back of his head.

Voldemort.

This was one of the few times she had regretted ever reading a book. The portrait of the madman, depicted in Rise and Fall of the Dark Lord, who had almost enslaved the British magical population was not one that you forgot in a hurry and this was most definitely him. In the flesh. So to speak.

"Ah recognition. How flattering. If unexpected."

Cassie was trying not to vomit as the honeyed words spewed forth from the ghastly leech.

"But enough chit chat, let us get down to business. The stone if you please."

 _"Stone?"_

"Don't play dumb with me girl or I'll be wearing your intesines as a belt you drty little half blood bitch."

From honeyed words to screaming insults in the blink of an eye. Cassie saw this monster for exactly what he was and her very understandable fear started to morph into grim determination. She set her face in stone and felt for the switchblade as her nemesis attempted to regain his emotional control.

"My apologies for that outburst Miss Evans. Let us make ... a trade. You give me the stone and I will give you a quick and painless death. Well mostly painless. Just as I did for your mudblood mother, not that she deserved it."

That was the charm.

Cassie's temper already at breaking point snapped and she launched herself at the surprised man/monster. He started to turn around and he was fast. She was faster. Shortcake outstripped them both.

The snake wrapped himself around Quirrelmort's head and both man and his spooky guest screamed in pain and indignation. He tightened his coils, the hundreds of muscles clenching and constricting, giving his beloved mistress enough time to leap on the thrice damned being's back and retrieve her blade. Cassie pulled on the thing's chin exposing his pale neck and without a single moment of hesitation brought her knife up and slit his throat from ear to ear. She held on grimly as the man fell to his knees choking out the last of breath in bloody bubbles before collapsing heavily on the floor. As the man died the monster shrieked and a black plume of smoke erupted from Quirrel's skull hitting her in the face on the way with the force of a large and very real feeling sledgehammer.

The girl stumbled and shook her head. With all the ringing in her ears she couldn't be sure but she thought that she heard an explosion accompanying the bright light that was restricting her vision. She dropped to the floor beside the dead professor, screaming with held her hands to her forehead as the pain in her scar made her feel as if her brain were being boiled inside her skull. Then the darkness enveloped her.

That was how a totally unprepared Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape found Cassandra Evans. Lying in a veritable lake of professor Quirrel's blood with the murder weapon in her hand and her serpent familiar hissing at them trying his best to protect his little mistress from their meddling.

If Voldemort couldn't stop the esteemed Headmaster a barely four foot python certainly wasn't going to be up to the job.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is mainly a filler chapter but some of it is important later on so do try and pay attention.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **6\. In the Summertime.**

The light was painfully bright when Cassie awoke and she tried to bring up her hand to cover her eyes. It didn't move. She looked quickly down to her side and realised with relief that this was because there was a mass of dark red hair laying on it rather than any massive injury preventing movement. Without her glasses she couldn't really focus on anything other than the grey blotch of a school uniformed body and the hair colour so she lightly closed her eyes again and waited for the person asleep on her arm to move while luxiuriating in the feel of crisp sheets and a soft, warm matress. Without intending to she drifted off back into the land of Morpheus.

The next time she woke Cassie was able to put her glasses on as the mysterious red head had disappeared but regretted it instantly as her world went a stange shade of fuschia and she came face to face with absolutely the most scary person in Hogwarts. Madame Poppy Pomfrey. School nurse and professional guilt trip artist. There may be more powerful wizards and witches here but the school healer had an entire infirmary full of foul tasting potions that could do some rather horrible things to your body if incorrectly applied and she ruled her domain with a rod of iron. Cassie was reminded of an old song she had heard on a radio in the pubic baths once. If Nurse Pomfrey decided one day that she was going to turn serial killer then in the words of Jim Morrison; No-one here gets out alive. And that was who she facing now with fuzzy, wierd coloured vision and a splitting headache.

"How many times have you been in here for treatment since the beginning of the year Miss Evans?"

Cassie widened her eyes and gave the nurse her most innocent expression while holding up three fingers. Then she changed her facial muscles into a pretty accurate but still incredibly cute approximation of deep thought and after a while added a fourth.

"That's not going to work on me Missy. Unlike certain professors in this castle I am wise to your cutesy little ways and I have immunised myself against those big green eyes of yours."

The girl in question gave her a hurt look wondered how exactly she had done this before deciding that she probably didn't want to know and returning her attention to the older witch who was now grinding her teeth in barely restrained anger.

"Nine. You have been in my hospital wing nine times this year Miss Evans and two of those have required an at least overnight stay. Now I don't know if you're attempting some kind of record for the most visits or if you're just a magnet for any and all kinds of trouble that may currently be going on in this place but whatever it is. It stops now. Am I understood."

Cassie nodded contritely.

"Alright then. Let's talk about your treatment." Back on medicine related topics Poppy Pomfrey became slightly less scary and continued in a more caring manner.

"You will notice that the head injury that you received has made you a great deal more sensitive to light so I had Professor MacGonnagal transfigure your glasses into rimless ovals and Professor Flitwick has charmed them to be unbreakable and self darkening according to your current requirements. This makes them less heavy and you will be able to control the amount of light that you let in with a simple tap of your wand. The unbreakable enchantment speaks for itself as I have rarely before seen a student with your capacity for getting themselves injured."

Cassie gave her a small smile and a nod of thanks which quickly turned her smile to a grimace of pain.

"You shouldn't move your head too much dear, that was a nasty concussion and it will take a good long while for the pain to stop." She handed the girl a potion. "Here drink this. It will help."

As she was downing the foul tasting liquid the Headmaster entered with a formidable looking woman in a red cloak and sporting a clipboard and quill who appeared to be in her late thirties. She glared darkly at the old man who was wearing a faux concerned expression and giving her a sacharine sweet smile, no doubt for the benefit of his obviously very important and official audience. She was sure that things would have been very different if they were alone.

"Ah Miss Evans how wonderful to see you looking better. May I just say how embarrassed I am that a professor that I hired, albeit a man of Quirinus Quirrel's stature and reputation, would attempt to harm you in such a vile and disgusting way. I hope you can forgive me for this grave error in judgement on my part _dear_ girl."

Yep. He was covering his arse. Cassie decided to play along and see exactly what kind of lies the beardy hypocrite had cooked up for the authorities. She reached for her pad and pen which he had placed on the side table by her bed.

 **Thank-you Sir. Was it you that found me?**

"Yes my dear. If only I had been quicker this tragic outcome may have been avoided."

Classic Dumbledore she thought, setting himself up as the heroic rescuer and placing all blame securely on the dead teacher and possibly to some extent her. She managed to keep her expression schooled to a slightly sad neutrality and wrote again.

 **If only.**

"If you don't mind I have an interview to conduct Albus." The stern woman interrupted their exchange of wits frowning. "Although it's going to take a lot longer than I anticipated if Miss Evans has to write eveything out long hand. Is there anyone in the school who can sign?"

Cassie hesitated then wrote.

 **Hermione Granger.**

"Ah. I'm afraid she may not be willing Amelia. Academic rivals you know. Not to worry though, I may be a bit rusty but I'm sure I can remember enough to interpret Miss Evans' signing for you."

Could he now. Well that was an interesting piece of information. She would certainly be a lot more careful around the sneaky old dodderer if she ever got back in Hermione's good books. For now though she would use this opportunity to see just how far he would go to make himself look good and avoid an investigation into how he ran this death trap of a school. She turned to Amelia Bones, darkened her lenses a shade or two to combat her still pounding headache and nodded carefully. She was ready.

The headmaster was only paying slight attention to his previously prepared interpretation of the 'girl who refused to die's' answers being more focused on discovering how in Merlin's name that horcrux in her head had managed to shrink to half of it's original size since the Quirrelmort incident. He finished in a rush of forced and entirely false concern for the dratted girl's well being and excused himself to dive into his private library. He needed answers. Now.

Sitting alone in an empty carriage on the Hogwarts Express on the way back to Kings Cross a week later Cassie was still running over her interview with the woman who had turned out to be not just any official but the head of the DMLE in her mind. That her answers had been extensively edited by the Headmaster came as no surprise to her but she was rather surprised by his assertion that Quirrel had been gunning for her all year and that he had been attempting to sexually assault her when she had defended herself with excessive, if entirely understandable vigour. In the end the blame had been laid, correctly, at the door of the dead man with no small amount of censure for her lethal countermeasures and Albus Dumbledore looking every inch the heroic rescuer of her life and virtue. She had been livid, of course, and filled with righteous indignation at the old man's lies and the only reason that he wasn't in the same state as Quirrelmort was because professor Snape had been looking after her belongings and she didn't have access to anything sharp. When the potions master had returned her bag, wand and pet snake upon her escape from the infirmary the dour man had apparently attempted some kind of joke by mockingly congratulating her for not killing the Headmaster right there in the hospital. Cassie realised that this was just his usual preamble to offering some helpful advice and ignored the well placed jibe with only a small amount of effort. This time it was that she should visit Gringotts Bank in Diagon Alley to see if her mother had made any financial arrangements for her so that she could at least pay for her school supplies for next year and sleep somewhere with a roof. He may be an utter arse socially but he did have his uses she supposed.

On her arrival at the station Cassie strode purposefully to the gathered adults, scattering fearful students from along her path, clutched her prepared message and looked for a likely candidate to help her. She stopped short as she recognised her interviewer from the school hugging a small red headed girl with an uncharacteristic smile lightening her stern, angular features. As much as the idea of asking the police for help went against every one of her rules and instincts she knew that this was probably her best option for the success of her plan so she shifted her direction and walked right up to Amelia Bones and her vaguely familiar companion who was smiling excitedly at her and handed her the note.

 **I need to get to Diagon Alley. Can you help me please?**

"Because you can't use the floo network right?"

The girl nodded her affirmation and the older woman looked at her calculatingly.

"Please Auntie. Can you help her. For me."

"Alright then Susan. For you." Amelia Bones held out her hands to the pair of them. "Well then, what are you waiting for Miss Evans? A written invitation. Let's go."

Cassie gave the red head a thorough if circumspect examination A little shy but clearly not afraid of her, dark red hair in a shade that she vaguely remembered from the infirmary and the girl had just subtly aided her plans with her intervention. This 'Susan' had just become her number one candidate for her mysterious benefactor and 'future friend' from Hogwarts. She filed away the information for another day and grasped Amelia's hand to feel the familiar (to her) old sensation of teleportation. She wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting but the dingy pub they had just appeared in was a bit of a disappointment, still you never know things could get better. They couldn't get much worse she thought as she bid farewell to the Bones ladies, this pub was truly horrible.

Like so many young people before her Cassie stared in wonder at the sights and smells of Diagon Alley and thanked whatever Gods she could think of that she was a witch who had unfettered access to this incredible place. As she made her way through the market stalls and past the vibrant shops so full of beautiful and awesome things and strangely dressed people she had almost dislocated her neck with the constant need to turn and see something new and exciting. The magnificent edifice of Gringotts Wizarding Bank was a fitting destination for this journey of discovery and she was very nearly skipping with glee as she crossed the threshold into the cool marble faced interior and approached the nearest free teller fishing out another one of her pre prepared notes.

 **My name is Cassandra Evans and I would like to speak with someone about my mother's account and any possible inheritance please.**

The funny loking goblin assistant who's name was 'Griphook' according to the nameplate at the window took the paper from her, put it into a tube where it disappeared with a whoosh. After apparently receiving some kind of reply he pointed to a stone bench.

"Wait there human you will be collected shortly."

Thanks to professor Snape's instructions on how she should behave in her dealings with these brusque creatures Cassie was quite surprised at what passed for a very polite response from the teller and sat down in the indicated spot to patiently await her escort. When the pair of armoured goblins who were to accompany her arrived a few minutes later she was led through a series of passages and corridors to a large studded door where the group stopped and one of her silent companions knocked three times and then gestured for her to enter.

Without any attempt at pleasantries or introductions the sour faced goblin behind the desk rose, picked up a small dagger, grabbed her left arm and slit her outstretched hand depositing a few drops of her blood into a much stained old bowl. She winced slightly at this but remained impassive as he then poured the bowl's contents onto a piece of yellow parchment before giving it a careful examination. Seemingly satisfied he finally cleared his throat and spoke.

"Cassandra Marguerite Evans. Natural daughter of Lily Rose Evans and James Charlus Potter both deceased."

He looked the black haired girl up and down critically and then gave her a grimace which could posibly be considered as a smile if one were feeling particularly generous.

"My name is Throatrip and it is a pleasure indeed to meet you Miss Evans. I have been hearing great things about you from our agents at Hogwarts it seems that you have inherited your mother's gift for causing chaos as well as having a ruthless streak that is all your own." He bowed to her. "I greet you as a fellow warrior Troll Slayer."

Feeling that it was the polite thing to do she returned his bow while smirking a little at her new nickname.

Two hours later Cassie was skipping towards the Leaky Cauldron with a small bag full of coins and a much lighter heart. Her meeting at the bank had gone extremely well. Although she couldn't inherit anything of the Potter's, due to being both female and a half blood, there was enough money in her Evans vault to see her through all six of her remaining years at school with enough left over that she could rent a nice room here in the Alley each summer and still have a bit of fun on the side. Add to that the fact that the goblins had obviously adored her and respected her so much that they were willing to make certain capital investments on her behalf and her future was looking if not gloriously rosy then at least a financially stable shade of pink.

She had never had much in the way of money before and spending it on frivolities did not come naturally to her so after paying for a seven week stay at the Inn she found herself standing hesitantly at the entrance to Flourish and Botts book shop. Gathering her courage she stepped into the store and walked to the rear of the tall, musty smelling bookcases without really looking where she was going and ran straight in to the back of a very familiar bushy haired girl, knocking them both to the floor in a tangle of limbs. As they extricated themselves from each other green eyes locked on to brown and time appeared to stand still for the two young witches. Hermione's expression of fear changed into a look of sadness as they stared at each other and without a word being exchanged they knew that this would be their last goodbye. Cassie was still the dangerous outcast wheras Hermione had at last found acceptance amongst her peers in the bosom of Gryffindor house. Too much had happened this year and they couldn't go back to how it had been now no matter how much they wanted to. Cassie leaned in and kissed her former friend lightly but longingly on the cheek then she turned on her heel and headed sadly back to her room.

After her chance meeting with Hermione at the book shop she had stayed brooding in her room at the Leaky Cauldron for almost a whole week before Shortcake had decided that enough was enough and had given his mistress a serious talking to. He had played beautifully on her emotions and had finally managed to persuade Cassie that she ought to be out learning new magic to help her shield herself against others if the attacks of last year continued when they went back to school. The scheming little python didn't actually think that this would actually happen after Cassie's demolition of the Slytherin quidditch captain and his two moronic friends but the girl needed a project to throw herself in to and this was as good as any and had the added advantage of being eminently practical which he knew woul appeal to her. So armed with her new found purpose the green eyed girl had ignored the new defence against the dark arts texts and instead purchased several thick books on duellling techniques and set to her task with gusto and even the arrival of birthday cards from two of her professors (Snape and Flitwick) and her 'hopeful future friend' (Susan?) did not distract her ... much.

The wandless and wordless protego spell took many hours of practice to perfect and even longer to strengthen and extend it's duration but Shortcake had convinced her, backed up by the authors in her new books, that it was the platform upon which a great duelist was built. She had no burning desire to be a professional dueliist but she was sure that these skills would come in very handy given her status as a trouble magnet and her 'gift for chaos' as the goblins had eloquently put it and usefulness was a concept she could understand and accept. Plus she really didn't want to annoy Madame Pomfrey any more by ending up in the hospital wing again. So to avoid the restrictions on underage magic use, without her wand and silent as always she practised ... and practised ... and practised some more.

By the time September the first rolled around it was a scarily proficient twelve year old Cassandra Evans that strode confidantly onto platform nine and three quarters ready to face whatever Hogwarts had to throw at her this coming year.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow. Second year is already upon us. You know what that means don't you . More Susan Bones, Ginny Weasley, foppish idiot DADA teachers, basilisks and most importantly for me (mainly because I adore writing her) Luna Lovegood. This is going to be fun.**

 **In answer to Abyranss; Cassie is an Evans because in this story Lily never married James Potter. The Bones thing is entirely my mistake. I should probably have said Amelia's brother. Oh well. Live and learn.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **7\. Night Moves.**

In the Hufflepuff's carriage on the Hogwarts Express Susan Bones was having a lovely dream. A pretty little witch with enchanting, sparkling emerald green eyes was peppering her face and neck with light, lingering kisses as she buried her hands in coal black hair and moaned in delight. She had been having these dreams a lot since the onset of her monthlies early in the summer and though differing in the details and intensity they always featured the same protaganist. Cassandra Evans. Her Cassie as she had recently taken to calling her in the private diary that she kept. She was well aware that it wasn't exactly normal for her to have these feelings for another girl but it didn't give her much pause really as she had always been drawn to strong, dangerous women wasn't surprised that her admiration for and hero worship of Cassie had evolved into something deeper. She hesitated to call it love yet but she knew that it wasn't far off that. Her Auntie knew it too. Honestly, that woman could sniff out anything off or unusual and follow it directly to the source like some kind of woman shaped bloodhound. The conversation that had ensued after Aunt Amelia's discovery of her not so little secret had been extremely awkward and uncomfortable for them both but they had worked it out in the end so it was all good. It could have been a lot worse. People had been disinherited, exiled and even killed for the barest hint of homosexuality in the not too distant past so she figured that a little embarrassment and some light hearted teasing by her only remaining family member wasn't so bad.

Susan was rudely awakened from her sweet, kissy, kissy adventures in dreamland by someone shaking her roughly and trying desperately to get her attention.

"Wha ... What is it I was sleeping."

She glared at her best friend and dorm mate Hannah Abbott before following the strangely scared looking girl's pointing finger to the other side of the carriage and her gaze was captured by the same emerald eyes that had just been featuring so heavily in her dream. Her breath caught in her throat. Directly opposite her sat 'Her' Cassie Evans staring right back at her with a miniscule Mona Lisa smile playing upon her delicate, pink lips. Susan blushed a very deep shade of red at the thought of what she had been imagining doing with those same lips just moments ago which obviously did not go un-noticed as Cassie's eyebrow rose slightly and the smile became a smirk.

The collective breaths of everyone in the compartment were held as the black haired psycho who was known to have murdered poor professor Quirrel lovingly stroked her, admittedly very beautiful, book bag before reaching in and removing something. They tried and failed not to flinch as the girl handed the inexpertly wrapped package to Susan, leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek and then as quickly as she had arrived, she was gone.

Heart hammering in her chest a furiously blushing Susan Bones fumbled with the wrapping to reveal an A4 sized book; Let's Sign, An Introduction to British Sign Language by Debra May and Alison Wells. She gingerly opened her newest and most precious treasure to reveal a handwritten message on the flyleaf.

 _To my 'future friend' in hopes of pleasant conversation._

 _Cassandra Evans xx._

Disillusioned outside the door Cassie watched the red head's alternately swooning and grinning reaction with great interest before she went back to her own much emptier carriage further down the train with a small smile. That had gone very well she thought to herself. Very well indeed.

Upon their arrival at Hogsmead Station Cassie was subjected to the usual display of all the other students virtually running from her presence as she walked slowly and nonchalantly towards the waiting carriages that would take them up to the castle this year. It was somewhat of a surprise then when she actually, physically bumped into someone and knocked the slight figure right over on to the hard platform. As she reached down to help them up she was fascinated to see a pale, dirty blonde with large, slightly protruding grey eyes regarding her thoughtfully but seemingly totally unafraid, dusting herself off and speaking in a dreamy voice.

"I'm sorry about that, the nargles must have pushed me right into your path."

Cassie pondered that for a moment before shrugging and giving the girl a friendly smile and a nod. She didn't catch her responding beaming grin of pleasure as a camera flashed and she had to darken her glasses several shades to fight off the wave of nausia that this gave her. When she was able to focus properly again the new first years were all gone and she continued her now unimpeded progress to the nearest carriage which promptly emptied of people at her approach. She sighed at that then paused to stroke the strange, black, leathery, winged ponies at it's head for a minute or two before mounting the steps and seating herself to ride in solitude to the castle for the welcoming feast.

Alone right at the near end of the Gryffindor table Cassie was stroking and chattering to her python and paying barely any attention to the sorting which was currently in progress. She looked up just in time to see the odd blonde girl from the station, who she now knew as Luna Lovegood, being sorted into Ravenclaw and received a wide smile and an enthusiastic wave from her as she skipped off to sit with her new housemates. Luna's actions did not apparently endear her to them as she was quickly shunned for daring to be friendly to the outcast Gryffindor psycho freak. The last person to be sorted had obviously learned that lesson well as, even when she was forced to take the only remaining seat next to Cassie, Ginny managed to pretend to mostly ignore her. Much to the older girl's consternation, however, the youngest member of the Weasley clan would occaisionally give her a quick smile and even managed a whispered "Hello" when she thought that nobody was looking.

Soon, but not soon enough in Cassie's opinion, the feast was over and everyone departed for their dorms. Well everyone except her. She decided that she needed to find a new place to sleep. She would be a bit sad to not go back to last year's nest especially since it was so close to Susan's Hufflepuff basement but staying there again was not an option. Her instincts told her to that it was not smart and not safe to stay there and she had long ago learned to trust those instincts so she would move on to somewhere new. Cassie wandered the hallways in search of a safe place to set up her temporary home. It was gone Midnight when she suddenly found herself at he bottom of a dilapidated and semi ruined tower at the Eastern edge of the castle. She swiftly climbed the crumbling stairs to the top and found herself in a dirty circular room with no furniture or portraits or anything else for that matter. It might be a little spartan but there were no holes in the roof, the windows looked intact, it had a stout studded door and most importantly it was clearly disused and empty. She didn't like the idea of being of being trapped up here but if the worst came to worst she could always open a window and summon a broom, not that she would ever want to. Dangerous bloody things. Still she could use scourgify charms until she found a convenient bathroom and there was plenty of room for some comfortable goodies that she could liberate from the supply closets dotted about the castle. It would do. Cassie pulled two blankets from her bag and began to set up her bed. She had found her sanctuary.

It was two weeks into the new term and Cassie was back in her old routine, breakfast and lunch with the eves in the kitchen, dinner with either Snape or Flitwick, who it seemed had adopted Severus' tactic of giving her detentions in order to spend time with the girl, and the rest of her time spent in the library before eventually retiring to her tower room to sleep. Her classes were starting to become more interesting and more challenging at last and she was taking every opportunity to learn more about this fascinating world of magic into she was slowly starting to fit and become accustomed to. Even Defence was against the Dark Arts was fun. Well it was after she had written off professor Lockheart as a self agrandising, useless idiot and started using the lessons to read ahead to the third year texts that she had borrwed from the library.

And then, of course, there was Susan. She had managed to slip a note to the Bones heiress in Herbology and they had met together in the library four nights after their arrival. The excitable red head had proved to be a quick study when it came to sign language and the two of them could now converse almost in silence, excepting Susan's occasional squeaks and muffled giggles, which had made keeping their budding friendship quiet that much easier. Cassie really didn't want them to be separated by the other students catching wind of it and making things difficult for them, or more importantly difficult for Susan. Although she really didn't have to worry as at this point having got on such amiable terms with her crush Miss Bones was not about to let anyone or anything get in her way. Having got her girl she would fight to keep her, without hesitation or remorse. Come hell or high water they would be together.

After one of their study sessions (extended giggly chats) in the library, Cassie had walked Susan back to her dorm, to the utter delight of the other girl, and was on her way back to her own room when she heard an almost inaudible crying sound near the base of the Ravenclaw tower. Deciding to investigate she disillusioned herself and crept around the corner towards the faint noise. She came upon a sight guaranteed to both break her heart and boil her blood at the same time. Luna Lovegood, the odd girl from the train station, was shivering and crying dressed in the thinnest of nightgowns and staring hopefully at the sealed door to her common room, clearly in a great deal of distress. Cassie cancelled her charm so as not to startle her and stamped lightly on the stone floor with her boot heel to get her attention. And get it she did. As soon as Luna turned in her direction and saw her she gave a sob of relief and flew into the older girl's arms, holding on to her for all she was worth. Cassie took a few moments to stroke the frightened girl's hair and calm her down before wrapping her in her robe and leading her by the hand back to her own tower. Once there she dropped her bag, got undressed, climbed into her makeshift bed of cushions and pillows, opened the blanket and beckoned to the scared little blonde. Luna threw off the robe and fairly dived in and wasted no time snuggling up to her black haired saviour muttering a muffled "Thankyou" before falling fast asleep in her arms.

The next morning at breakfast Cassandra Evans walked calmly into the great hall with Luna on her arm and sat the blonde gently at her House table. She kissed the younger girl tenderly on the top of her head and then looked up at the other Ravencaws with a countenance that froze the blood of every single person that saw it. Jumping nimbly up on to the table she stalked up and down it glaring at Luna's housemates, none of whom would hold her gaze, and came to an abrupt halt in front of one Cho Chang. She squatted down in front of the popular asian witch and picked up a butter knife from her plate which she regarded impassively for a few moments before slamming it point first half way through the board millimetres from Cho's hand.

"It ... it ... w ... won't happen again." The girl stammered out shaking with fear as somewhere a camera flashed.

She kept her icy gaze on her until she caught the faint smell of amonia from beneath her seat. Satisfied with her morning's work Cassie gave the girl one last dirty look, leapt down from the table and strode quickly from the hall as behind her twenty seven pairs of eyes from the first years of every house followed her retreating form with adoration and respect. Cassandra Evans was their new hero.

At the head table Albus Dumbledore struggled to keep his great big false smile on his face as he inwardly fumed. Damn that bloody half blood bitch she was going to ruin everything. Damn her. Damn her. Damn her.

Things would only get worse for the Headmaster in the coming days as in the very next Defence class an arrogant young aristocrat would set up a chain of events that would make Cassie a hero to many in the castle and cement her reputation as someone you really did not want to piss off to all the rest. Despite being the heir and scion to a noble and extremely wealthy family and lauded as an upcoming 'prince of Slytherin', Draco Malfoy was at the moment seriously lacking in the brains and cunning departments. His attempt to lure Cassie into a very public wizard's duel in which he would obviously destroy her with his superior skills had, in his eyes, gone brilliantly with professor Lockhart actually setting up a Duelling Club with the pair of them as the first demonstration bout. He was very pleased with himself as the girl would not be able to use those disappearing tricks as she had on that idiot Marcus Flint. Not with half the school watching. It would be an easy win for him and he would be lauded back to the Slytherin dungeon as a hero. Pride is a deadly sin as Draco would soon discover.

Charms was usually one of Hermione's favourite classes as it gave her ample opportunity to show off her prodigious book knowledge before the practical part of the class began. Today, however, she was struggling to concentrate. Today she kept glancing over to her former friend who was quietly reading up on the morning's lesson seemingly without a care in the world despite the fact that in slightly less than three hours she would be facing that horrid Malfoy boy in a duel. She was worried for Cassie. Malfoy might be an entitled, brain dead pillock but he was a pure blood and a rich one at that, the etiquette and practice of honour duels would have been drilled into him since birth and her much more physical style of fighting would certainly not help her here. She shuddered as she remembered the sight of an enraged Cassandra, covered in blood, stabbing that troll in the eye over and over again. They might not be best friends or even casual acquaintances anymore but that didn't mean that she had stopped caring about her well being. Hermione sighed and hoped that Cassie had been practicing at least. She had. A lot.

In the great hall the tables had been pushed together and transfigured into a huge duelling platform that dominated the space. All around the edge chairs had been laid out for competitors and spectators apart from a small gap where there stood a furious looking Poppy Pomfrey with an open case full of potions and a hospital daybed.

"Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the Hogwarts Duelling Club with me your own dear Professor Lockheart, winner of Witch Weekly's most charming smile award five years running." He paused for applause before continuing. "May I just say what a pleasure it is to see so many young people here interested in this ancient and, dare I say it, spiritual art."

It was true. Virtually the entire student body and all of the staff were crammed into the great hall to watch this.

"First up is a bit of a grudge match. Slytherin versus Gryffindor." There were a mixture of cheers and boos at this statement. "Your moderaters for the match will be Professor Snape and my humble self"

"Pompous arse." A low voice was heard to mutter. Lockheart's smile did not falter. He was a professional.

"Mister Malfoy, Miss Evans you have heard the rules and have agreed to abide by them. If either one of you breaks a rule you will be disqualified and the match is awarded to your opponent. Severus, if you would."

"Mister Malfoy, ready?"

Draco shifted into a classic duellist's stance and brought his wand up.

"Miss Evans,ready?"

She stood completely at ease with her arms folded looking almost bored and waved her hand at him. Her wand was not in it. Snape raised his eyebrow a touch then shrugged.

"Very well. Begin."

Susan Bones gripped the arms of her chair in a death grip and looked on in horror as Malfoy immediately launched three red coloured curses in quick succession directly towards her beautiful, but totally unmoving crush. Nonononono. Her mouth fell open and her hands relaxed as the curses fizzled out against Cassie's wandless shield and a gasp went up all around the hall. Wordless magic. Wandless magic. Wonderful magic. Susan felt the grin start to form on her face as she began to realise that Cassie wasn't just going to beat him. She was going to humiliate him. She wondered if Malfoy understood that yet.

Draco was shocked. He had sent dozens of his best and most powerful curses at her and the damned half blood whore had simply ignored them letting them batter against her, admittedly impressive, shield. He knew he was tiring and wouldn't be able to last much longer but her shield must be depleted by now. In desperation and to recover some of his lost pride he used his last resort curse.

"Serpensotia."

I knew he was stupid, thought Cassie as she watched the two large, ethereal cobras dart towards her, but launching snakes at a Parselmouth. Wow. Just. Wow. What a moron.

 _"Stop."_

The cobras stopped. She held out her arms.

 _"Come."_

They slithered straight through her shield and up her arms coiling themselves loosely around her neck.

 _"We obey speaker."_

 _"Awesome. Let's finish this up then shall we my dears."_

Draco went pale as she finally dropped the yew wand into her waiting left hand and started to move forward.

"Stupefy. Confrigo. Colloportus. Reducto." And he was done.

She had simply batted away his spells while continuing her march towards him and now he was backed up to the very edge of the platform, on the verge of magical exhaustion and she was stood less than three feet away from him looking as fresh as a daisy.

"Fuck you you bastard spawn of a mudblood whore." He panted.

Draco Malfoy watched in fascination as her eyes went from amused to murderous in an instant and she raised her wand to his solar plexus and banished him into the wall with a sickening crunch.

There was utter, stunned silence for a good five seconds. Then the cheers went up and chaos reigned at Hogwarts once more.

Later that evening as Cassie was serving the first of her thirty detentions for recklessly endangering the life of a fellow student, in Gryffindor tower Ginny Weasley opened the diary that she had found in the summer and to combat her loneliness and feelings of isolation that were crowding in upon her she began to write. She was quite surprised when she recieved an answer.

 **Hello my name is Tom.**

On seperate sides of the castle, one cleaning out the thresrals as punishment, one sat in his office in judgement, both Cassandra Evans and Albus Dumbledore felt the chill of premonition. Something was coming and it wasn't anything that either of them had planned for or expected. A pale horse was coming to Hogwarts and he that sat on him, his name was Death.

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 **The more observant among you will have noticed that the story chapters are all song titles (nearly) and this will continue until I run out of suitable songs or for as long as I can be bothered. Given my age and inclinations they will mostly be from the 1970's and 1980's.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay so confession time. I actually planned to start this story in Fourth year but couldn't work out how to explain why Cassie acted the way she did and I ended up having to go further and further back. Basically I thought these first chapters were going to be a huge chore to get to the good stuff but I've had such a great response from you guys that I'm now really glad we started at the beginning. So thanks for that it has made what seemed like a lot of boring work become increasingly fun for me. I'm having a blast with this and I hope you're all feeling the same.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **8\. Killer on the Loose.**

While all of the other students were at the Halloween feast a small, solitary figure was working in the stables. They might be pretty cute but Cassie decided that threstrals who were on the kind of diet that produced this kind of disgusting mess were not only a menace to society in general but to her in particular. She tried not to gag as for the second time that evening she skidded on something wet and slippery and fell face first into the enormous manure pile at the entrance to the stable. Ick. Not again. Deciding that she had had quite enough for one evening she quickly finished her task, cheating somewhat by banishing the pile into the oversized compost bin near Hagrid's hut. Job done. Stables cleaned and threstrals brushed and fed she headed back into the castle and the nearest available bathroom in order clean herself up and to sort herself out. She thumped through the door of an empty bathroom and trailing mud and something a little more than mud in her wake, crossed to the sinks and began to strip off her soiled uniform. Removing her glasses she ran the taps and started to wash off the filth of her smelly detention.

"What do you think you're doing girl and look at what you've done to my floor you filthy little beast. I hope you're going to clean this up. I'm certainly not. It's not in my job description."

Cassie spun around summoned her wand and glasses which were still on the side and faced this potential threat with a shocked expression on her face. Nobody had managed to sneak up on her this effectively in a very long time and she was angry. More with herself than the intruder but still. Until that is she caught sight of the interloper's ghostly form. She started to relax a bit but then her visitor gave a high pitched giggle and pointed at her.

"Oooh look at the scary ickle nudie girly with the wand and ... the black hair ... " She paused slightly. "And the burning green eyes ... and ... the scar on her head. Eeek. It's the silent assassin!"

Realising that she must indeed look a bit of a sight, buck naked brandishing a wand, Cassie smirked and looked around for something to write with. In the end she just used her finger in the steamed up mirror.

 **Cassie actually. Hello**.

Myrtle, the unhappy ghost who haunted this particular bathroom was taken aback a bit. She had heard all about this girl as she listened in to the conversations of the students and ghosts unseen and ignored. This girl was an evil killer who talked to snakes. She hated snakes, understandably having been killed by a giant one. Still at the moment the little witch didn't seem to be after her and was actually being quite friendly and in the mood for conversation which was something of a new experience for her. Still wary she decided to respond.

"Moaning Myrtle they call me." She said a little sulkily. "I'm a ghost."

 **Yes I noticed that.**

"They don't come in here. They don't like me. But then, they dont like you very much either do they."

 **Who?**

"Everyone."

Cassie grinned and shrugged.

 **C'est la vie.**

Myrtle cackled out her tittering giggle once more and came right up to the girl almost nose to nose. She smiled slowly and carefully as if it wasn't something that she had done in an extremely long time.

"I like you, you're funny. You can use my bathroom again if you'd like and we can ... you know ... talk and stuff ... Cassie."

Cassie nodded brightly then leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on the very surprised ghost right on the tip of where her nose would have been had she been in any way corporeal. Myrtle blinked rapidly as the supposed psychotic killing machine wrapped herself in a clean towel, gave her a small wave and left. Then, for only the second time in her un-life, she smiled a real smile. A smile of pleasure.

In a much better mood after her ghostly encounter Cassie skipped off down to the dungeons to collect Shortcake, who had been having a playdate with professor Snape while she was in detention. She heard a snort which was what passed for laughter in the potions master's limited vocabulary and being intrigued by this decided to move unseen into the classroom to gaze upon whatever miracle had caused this rare occurence. Greeted by the sight of Shortcake chasing after a furry lure on what appeared to be a small fishing rod in Snape's hands as he jerked the line away she was inwardly laughing so much that she accidentally fell in to one of the work stations. As the desk toppled over with a crash and she lost control of her disillusionment spell both man and snake whipped around to see her sat on the floor and giving some rather undignified snorts of her own. Severus regained his composure first and scowled at the girl as she retrieved her python and headed for the blackboard.

 **Having fun?**

He gestured at her towel clad form and raised his eyebrow.

"Hem. I won't mention this if you don't."

Glancing down at her once again dirty knees and feet she nodded, a bit regretfully, and ran off back towards her tower with Shortcake in tow. The pair of them had only made it a couple of hundred yards when they came upon Filch's cat, the hated Mrs Norris hanging stiffly from a sconce on the rough wall. And then they heard the voice.

 _"Kill. Kill. Kill."_

 _"Did you hear that Shortcake."_

 _"Yes little Cass."_

 _"A snake do you think?"_

 _"Not quite I don't think mistress. It sounds ... bigger."_

They were interrupted by a devastated and furious caretaker pointing accusingly at them, screaming about murderers and parselmouths and generally yelling the place down. As irritated professors and interested, sleepy students began to arrive at the scene Cassie looked up at the message written on the wall and realised that she was in trouble yet again. Oh balls, she thought. Here we go again.

 **The chamber of secrets has been opened enemies of their beware**

Albus Dumbledore was a man whose emotions were rather coflincted at the moment. On the one hand he was delighted that the Evans girl had managed to become the focus of fear and loathing within the castle once more and so early in the year too. The cherry on the top was that he was certain that it wasn't actually anything to do with her, couldn't be anything to do with her and yet she was still being blamed. Perfect. This situation would have had him grinning like a fool if it hadn't been for the small wrinkle of the chamber of secrets being opened again. Last time that had happened the school had nearly been shut down after the death of a student, even if it was only a damned mudblood outcast that nobody liked. Oooh now there was a cheery thought. Perhaps Tom's basilisk could rid the place of a few more of the nasty little peasants for him. He was positive that this time around he would be able to hush it up much more effectively, being older and wiser and having rather more influence with the right people in government now. Muggle parents were easy, a quick obliviation and they wouldn't even remember having their offspring, and the other students could be silenced by having one of his tried and tested loyalty potions liberally applied to their meals. Yes this time things would be very different indeed and as a bonus the Evans girl would lose all the popularity that she had garnered after the Lovegood incident and that duel that the idiot Malfoy boy had instigated. He sat back in his throne and smiled nastily as his phoenix coughed and spat in disgust at the old man's black hearted scheming ways.

Fawkes the phoenix had been growing increasingly concerned with his master's antics and shifting motives over the last fifty years or so. It had been so different when they had bonded at the turn of the last century when Albus was a fresh, powerful and idealistic young man who had only wanted to help his fellow man and bring peace to their world but the Grindlewald fiasco had changed all that. After putting down his former lover Gellert's attempt to take over not only the wizarding Europe but muggle Europe as well the phoenix had felt the man's focus slowly and subtly begin to move from helping others to controlling them at every turn. Whether this was a result of his grief at losing the man he had loved so completely or whether it was just his age catching up to him Fawkes was unsure but one thing that he was sure of was that he would not stand by and watch the disaster happen . Not this time. That poor girl who was the focus of the old man's utterly unjustified rage was not going to be left to face the demon alone. Whenever and wherever he could, he would help.

"But how can people be so stupid." Susan was striding around Cassie's tower bedroom and gesticulating wildly as vented. "They must _know_ that you can't actually be the heir of Slytherin for Merlin's sake I mean your heritage is one of the most well known facts in the whole of the wizarding world. They've written _books_ about you. Plus you're kind of adorable in a dorky sort of way. Oh no, don't do the sad puppy face you know I didn't mean it in a bad way."

 **You called me dorky.**

Cassie ceased her pouting, gave an evil leer, jumped on her friend and wrestled her to the floor. Successfully pinning the girl in a matter of seconds and sitting on top of her chest she preened herself in triumph, folded her arms, poked out her tongue at the red head and grinned a cheshire cat grin.

 **Victory is mine.**

"Go on then claim your prize, you beast."

The green eyed conquerer smirked and bent down giving her captive a quick kiss on the lips before leaping off of the prone girl and scampering off to dig through her bag for her herbology assignment leaving a stunned Susan to stare at the ceiling.

She kissed me.

On the mouth.

In truth it had been barely a friendly little peck but to someone who had spent months hoping and dreaming of such a thing happening it had, in her mind, become an act of much greater significance. Susan touched a finger to her lips and blushed a deep red as her burgeoning libido ran rampant almost making her squirm with the naughty feelings that it was giving her. She didn't know exactly what she was hoping for in the future but she did know that it involved a lot more of that. The touch of Cassie's lips on hers. She would definitely be doing that again and as often as she could manufacture the opportunity do so. Susan was brought out of her reverie by a sheaf parchment being waved in her face. She sat up and tried unsuccessfully to direct a haughty glare at the other girl.

"Really? You want me to do your essay for you?"

 **I won, you lost. This is my prize. You get to work and I get to play.**

"Fiiiiine. Dork"

Susan bent over Cassie's herbology homework and started to write while sneaking peeks at the black haired goddess who now appeared to be playing a protracted game of peek-a-boo with a four foot python. Vilified and ostracised by the entire school for the second year running and that amazing girl acts like she doesn't have a care in the world. Still at least the other students were now so bloody scared of her that it didn't occur to even the most dull witted of them to try attacking her like they did last year and at least it can't get any worse, she thought. Oh how wrong she was.

The petrified and most definitely dead body of Justin Finch-Fletchley was found the next morning and the madness truly began.

The witch hunt that followed after the Christmas break was predictable both in it's instigators and in it's target. As usual Cassie was blamed and as usual nobody stood up for her, although Susan had wanted to but she had expressly forbidden it, explaining to the furious red head that she didn't trust Dumbledore not to try splitting them up in a similar manner to how he had done with her and Hermione last year. Their friendship would remain a secret and Susan would remain safe and that was definitely not negotiable. She would not lose another friend to the manipulative, beardy old bastard and she was trying not to put her tentative friends among the staff in a position where they could be censured for openly supporting her. So she bore her daily trials with quiet stoicism and wore her loneliness proudly like a badge of honour. At least no-one was stupid enough to try attacking her this year, not after what she had publicly done to that troll, Quirrel and Malfoy and what they privately suspected she had done to Finch-Fletchley and then most recently Colin Creevey. They just stuck to whispered rumours and public shunning neither of which bothered her over much. Being outcast, alone and despised was not exactly a new experience for her after all.

Luna Lovegood was sitting alone quietly in the library apparently studying transfiguration. She was not. She was studying a far more interesting subject. Cassandra Evans. Luna was an observant girl and had been putting her skills to good use since the beginning of term closely watching the fabled 'girl who lived' as she struggled with the day to day issues of life in Hogwarts school. Like most young people in magical Britain she had grown up with the tales of this famous and well loved character as her bed time stories. She and her neighbour and best friend Ginny had taken much pleasure when they were younger running about the countyside surrounding their homes, pretending to stand shoulder to shoulder with the saviour of the wizarding world as she took on dragons and dark wizards and defeated them all. When she finally got to Hogwarts and discovered that those books about the girl's amazing life had been nothing more than fabricated fairy tales written to separate gullible fools from their galleons she had been devastated. This was nothing, however, to the blow she received when she found that her fellow students thought her a loony for even wanting to acknowledge her childhood heroine and bullied her viciously and relentlessly for it.

Then had come that glorious night outside the entrance to Ravenclaw tower when the two had met properly. For Luna that was when Cassandra Evans had become the real heroine. One who cared for how another human being was mis-treated and, without a single thought for herself, took action to correct it. One who had treated her not as an annoyance or a loony but like a princess to be rescued from the monsters that plagued her and made her life a living hell. And yet the girl was almost totally alone and very much unwanted by those around her with only a couple of noteable exceptions. She had been quick to see that Susan Bones, while appearing not to, had been very attentive to her. The two girls would always be in the library at the same time, they always sat close but not too close and very discretely used their hands to 'talk' to each other for hours upon end and more than once Luna had followed the pair to the ruined tower where Cassandra spent her nights. She was glad that the two were friends and had decided that if anyone could help her it would be them. Her best friend was in trouble and needed help. Ginny Weasley needed her own heroine and Luna knew that only the fabulous, if scary, girl who had saved her would do. Tonight when she trailed the girls back to the tower she would be courageous herself and ask for their help with her troubled best friend.

A little later Susan Bones was pacing around the sparse, circular room and trying not to let her jealousy of the blonde girl, who had come to them for help and who now occupied an enviable position seated in Cassie's lap having her hair smoothed and stroked, interfere with her thought process.

"So. Your best friend is grumpy, withdrawn, ill looking and won't talk to you." She paused and briefly smiled. "Sounds familiar."

 **Hey!**

"Yes but that's just so not Ginny. She 's always been so happy, so vibrant and she would never not talk to _me_. We've been together since we were toddlers. We don't have secrets. Not from each other at least and it all started with that damned diary."

"What diary?" Susan was immediately suspicious remembering one of her Auntie's most over stated but nontheless true mantras. 'In the eyes of a true investigator there is no such thing as coincidence.'

"She found it late in the summer and at first she seemed really happy with it but then we got here and she was ... different. It's like Ginny, the real Ginny I mean, is fading away and being replaced with this ... shell of a person. Cold and unfeeling."

Susan bit back the unkind words that wanted to leap from her mouth when she saw her Cassie start to cuddle and sooth their unexpected visitor again and replaced them with a much more measured and upbeat comment. It took some effort.

"Don't worry Luna we're going to get to the bottom of this. Cassie and I are on the case now and I promise you that you will not lose your friend. Not if we can help it."

Cassie tightened her grip on the girl and gave susan a firm nod.

The next few weeks saw Cassie, Susan and Luna keeping dicrete but wathful tabs on the young Gryffindor. Despite the close attentions of all three of them Ginny had managed to disappear again. Cassie was pissed. She was usually so good at this. Following the distinctive ginger girl should have been a walk in the park for her but somehow she had managed to lose her. Again. As she stomped around the corner of the hallway in digust at her own incompetence she heard it again. The whisper in the walls.

 _"Kill. Kill. Kill."_

The snake type thing was here.

 _"Kill. Kill. Kill."_

There was a bloodcurdling scream and a shout which was abruptly cut off followed only with an ominous shuffling, scratching sound. She gripped her her wand and ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Suddenly bursting into the lightened hallway she caught a glimpse of a massive, yellowish green scaly tail disappearing behind a suit of armour and fired off her one offensive spell (a gift from the irrepressilble professor Flitwick, his attempt to ecourage her into the world of professional duelling) a semi dark cutting curse. It seemed to almost bounce off and barely scratched the beast which continued on its's path back into the castle walls. Damn it all to hell, the bloody thing was magically resistant. She glared at the place where the thing had disappeared and ground her teeth before punching the wall in frustration. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths trying to calm herself down before turning to help the latest victims of the unknown monster, not wanting to scare them, and came face to face with her worst nightmare.

Two petrified bodies stood close to each other frozen in a grim tableau. The taller girl was leaning over the shoulder of the shorter, bushy haired second year, both of them staring in horror at the small compact make up mirror in her hand, gazing with the forever stare of the dead at the reflected image of their killer.

If Cassie had had a voice she would have wailed inconsolably as she dropped to her knees, the tears falling to join her discarded wand on the hard stone slabs of the hallway floor.

Hermione.

"We can't be here."

Susan had caught up to her and was pulling the girl to her feet and away from the scene of the crime.

"Cass sweetie, come on, you _cannot_ be found here."

Cassie blinked and looked uncomprehendingly into Susan's concerned brown eyes.

"I'll go and get Pomfrey soon, I promise, but we need to go. Now"

As she blinked again and looked back into the dead stare of her first ever friend her grief and her tears gave way to a new feeling. She let it come. She welcomed it. The rage. The cold, hard fury. It built and she let it. That thing had killed her Hermione and it and whoever had summoned it was going to pay. Hogwarts wanted her to be the killer? She would show them the killer. She would show them all. Death was coming for them. Green eyed death with a cold heart and a bright blade.

Cassandra Evans would have her vengence and it would not be pretty.

She would bathe in the blood of her enemies.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	9. Chapter 9

**Showing Cassie's lighter side in the last chapter was a whole lot of fun and quite honestly not before time right (all this angsy stuff is bloody hard work) but now she is super pissed and we all know what that means. Someones going to die. Enjoy.**

 **In response to Stargate Time Traveller all I have to say is; Bwahaha. Keep reading, it will all come out in the end.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **9\. Crawling King Snake.**

She stood in the shadows in the corner of the hospital wing and waited for the healer to disappear into her office and close the door before moving unseen and unheard towards the screened off area. Once she was behind the curtains Cassie wiped away a solitary tear as she looked at the two figures laying side by side on their hospital cots, not dead as she had feared, but still petrified and unmoving. Hermione and the older girl, Penelope, were as still as a pair of marble statues and about as responsive. The relief that had flooded her very being upon hearing that the bushy haired Gryffindor and her friend were still alive had calmed the girl enough to stop her from dragging Ginny to the dungeons for an extremely and unpleasantly violent interrogation but not enough to dispel her incredible rage and thirst for vengence. She was going to be careful and clever about this. She would learn all she could about the beast that had done this to her Hermione and it's summoner and then ... well as the Klingons would say ... revenge was a dish best served cold. And her vengence would be terrible. As she turned to leave her eye was caught by a piece of paper sticking out of Hermione's pocket and she noiselesly retrieved and read it before swiftly making her way to the library to meet with Susan and Luna with a dark look on her face.

"But it can't be a basilisk, our wonderful Headmaster would never allow his dutiful students to be harmed by a monster like that."

Cassie frowned at the younger blonde and furiously signed.

 **But we've just been reading about them. The way Hermione and penelope were petrified by the reflection, the way the others were killed. It has to be a basilisk. There is no other explanation.**

"No, no. Luna is certainly right. The Headmaster would never allow us to be harmed."

She scowled. They had been arguing like this for the last ten minutes with every time she mentioned the fact that it had to be a basilisk hunting the muggle borns she was faced with these blank, expressionless rebuttals and that was just not like these two usually intelligent witches to be quite this dumb or quite this doggedly loyal to the twinkly eyed old git. They were like a pair of bloody Stepford wives spouting the Dumbledore dogma of 'everything will be okay while _he_ is looking out for us'. Hmm loyal. Loyal. Loyalty potions. That was it!. The damned old meddler was dosing the school with loyalty potions so he didn't get caught up in an investigation by the DMLE. Probably in their food. Bastard. Deciding to leave the girls in their passive state so that they couldn't be blamed for what she was about to do Cassie added the name Albus Dumbledore to her ever growing list of who was going to pay in blood for this and headed to Gryffindor tower to intercept and track Ginny Weasley. This time she would not lose her. This time she would not fail. She could not fail.

Picking up the clueless ginger witch outside the portrait was easy as was tracking her movements and following stealthily from the shadows in the winding corrdors and staircases that littered the ancient castle. It helped immensely that her quarry seemed seriously distracted and really rather out of it and could be heard muttering to herself from quite a distance away. Then suddenly Ginny's head snapped up and she cocked her head as if listening to an unknown voice in her brain and then she ran. Cassie, however, was ready for her this time and matched the other girl's pace rounding a corner just in time to observe her diving through the door of a seldom used bathroom. Her little ghost buddy Myrtle's bathroom to be precise. She counted to thirty and then slammed through the door wand in hand ready to face the witch down.

After a fruitless search of the every nook and cranny in the bathroom the furious, wild eyed witch turned to a sobbing Myrtle and grabbed her pad and pen.

 **Where is she?**

"Wh ...what ... who?"

 **WHERE. IS. SHE?**

Now the ghost of Myrtle Elisabeth Warren knew exactly what the others were talking about when they spoke in hushed, wary tones about this girl. Gone was the sweet little second year with the big eyes who had made her smile and even, on occasion, laugh and in her place was the psycho. The outcast. The green eyed killer. Hogwarts own angel of death. Myrtle may have been terified of the small ginger girl who had summoned the monster that had killed her all those years ago but Cassandra Evans in this kind of mood was infinitely more menacing. She actually believed that this crazed witch could and would pull her back through the veil just to kill her all over again. Except that this time it wouldn't be quick and it most certainly wouldn't be painless.

"She ... she hissed ... over there." The ghost pointed at the middle sink. "It opened and then she was gone." Merlin, she was actually shaking in fear. "I'm sorry." She whispered

But Cassie had already turned away from her and stalked up to the sinks calling for her familiar.

 _"What do you think Shortcake?"_

 _"It's probably something very simple mistress."_

 _"What, like Open."_

The marble sinks split and the wall slid up and away to reveal a large, dark and eerie looking crawl space tall enough to let someone of almost Hagrid's height and girth through.

 _"Yes little Cass. Just like open."_

 _"Smart arse."_

She peered into the gloom and saw a long, filth covered pipe dropping away into inky black depths.

 _"Alright then mister smarty pants how exactly do we get down?_

 _"Oh that's easy, litle Cass. We jump."_

She nodded, took a few small steps back, hesitated briefly, then ran and leapt straight into the unknown.

As the girl and her python disapeared down the pipe another figure crept into the bathroom and glanced about before allowing himself a wide, creepy smile. The floppy haired blonde professor while not a great wizard by any means was rather talented when it came to spinning a fascinating tale of derring do to his devoted readers. Well that and the obliviate charm at which he was an undisputed, if unrecognised, master. Gilderoy Lockheart had been taking credit for others great deeds for many years and here he had sensed yet another opportunity to enhance his reputation. A grand adventure awaited below him and he would emerge as the hero once more.

 _"Ick!"_

 _"Just so mistress. Ick indeed."_

 _"What is that bloody awful smell?"_

 _"I think we're about to find out."_

Cassie picked her way carefully around several broken pillars and over a large pile of rubble and found herself in an impressively enormous dimly lit chamber. It's high ceilings were supported by several thick Roman style columns leading to a raised platform at one end on which stood a huge statue of a thickset man dressed in the robes of a warrior mage and sporting a spiky crown on his pointed head. At the foot of the statue was a large altar containing two lanterns and a thick leather bound book and next to the book stood the pale, sallow and unhealthy looking figure of Ginny Weasley. Cassie had almost reached the steps to the platform when the ginger girl seemed to finally notice her.

"So. The half blood bitch of the mudblood whore has come to visit. We are honoured."

Cassie stopped in her tracks. It may have been Ginny's cracked lips making the movements but it was another voice entirely that issued from her smirking mouth. Slightly higher and younger sounding than last time but still a voice that she had heard before. Last year in the room with the mirror. It was the voice of ...

 _"Voldemort."_

She spat out the name as if it were one of Poppy Pomfrey's fouler tasting potions or a particularly nasty disease.

"Voldemort? I don't think I know the name. Interesting. Perhaps it is who I will become one day. Ah yes I see from your face that it is the case. But no. Not yet at least. I am Tom. Tom Marvolo Riddle."

 _"Tom Marvolo Riddle."_ She repeated it slowly then thought for a moment then wrote on her pad and held it up to him.

 **I am Lord Voldemort.**

Tom/Ginny laughed heartilly.

"Well well you are a clever one aren't you."

 _"No you're just a narcisistic idiot."_

"I am _not_ an idiot. I am the greatest wizard that this world or any other has ever seen. I am the heir of Slytherin, the master of his greatest creation. I am the one who ..."

While the outraged young man/woman launched into his/her rant about how brilliant he/she was and how she was merely a footnote in history alongside his magnificence Cassie surrupticiously twitched, dropping her wand into her left hand and mentally prepared herself for action. Her attack when it came was unexpected and blindingly fast and the red coloured stunning spell caught the other girl full in the chest spinning her backwards over the altar to collide with the ugly statue behind and knocking her unconcious. She dived forwards and just managed to snatch the book from the altar and stuff it into her pocket before the screaming black mist rising from Ginny's prone body solidified and formed itself into the ethereal form of a thin, darkly handsome young man of about sixteen.

"What have you done, you nasty little traitorous bitch."

The elongated maw of the ghost like Tom Riddle screamed at her.

"I wasn't done with her yet. All my work. It took me months to train that insipid little thing into my instrument and now I'm going to have to start all over again. You will rue the day girl." He gave a particularly nasty smile. "Perhaps I shall use your little blonde friend next or maybe the other one. You know, your red headed strumpet."

Cassie felt the power as she channelled all of her rage and all of her terrible anger into herself. How dare this thing threaten her friends. How dare he threaten her beloved Susan. The switchblade flashed out and her face darkened like thunder on a summer's day. Ghost or spirit or whatever the hell he was, she was going to gut this bastard like a fish. But Tom was far from finished yet.

"Not that you're going to be around to see it."

He suddenly hissed out _._

 _"Come. Your master commands you. Come."_

The slithering sounds were loud and unmistakeable but they did not phase Cassie in the least. The black haired witch shifted into a fighting stance and adjusted her grip on both her wand in her left hand and the open knife in her right. She knew what was coming and she was ready for it. She would meet this basilisk monster with her pain and her grief and her all consuming rage. She would become the psycho killer that her peers thought she already was. She would lose herself to the darkness within her and the beast would fall.

 _"Kill. Kill. Kill."_

The first attack came fast and from the right. She slid backwards a couple of feet and held out her arm with the blade held rigid before her as the great snake streaked past her and smashed head first into one the columns. As it shook itself Cassie smiled grimly at the long gash in it's side before she touched her wand to her glasses darkening them to an opaque black and once more took up her ready position now with her eyes protected from the petrifying gaze of the basilisk. Concentrating on her hearing and using the silence in this place to her advantage she backed up a little more and then stopped becconing and taunting the beast with her wand.

 _"Come then worm. Let us dance."_

From the safety of his position in the dark shadows behind the rubble at the entrance to the chamber of secrets Gilderoy Lockheart watched in awe as the young girl glided and pirouetted around the huge reptile in a beautiful ballet of death. Sometimes she dodged, sometimes she sliced but always there was the exquisite movement of both the dancer and the fighter. He was positive that she was going to win this battle against the terrifying monstrous snake, but he would certainly win the prize and the glory. Those frustrated house witches who bought his books in their tens of thousands would be wetting their knickers at his description of this epic struggle (with himself as the hero, of course, rather than some scrawny little girl). He was going to make a fortune. The creepy grin was back as he moved into position behind a broken column in the dank corridor. She would have to come this way to get out and then she would be his. All the glittering prizes would be his.

Finally, despite her skill, Cassie's luck ran out. She slipped on a pool of her enemy's blood and skidded backwards against the platform, her wand going flying. With only a split second to react she pulled out the only other thing in her pocket and jammed it into the open mouth of the approaching serpent. There was an unearthly, earsplitting scream from behind her as the beast's tooth sank through the journal and the snake seemed to freeze for an instant. It was all the time she needed. Cassie's right arm shot forward into the basiliks mouth and she plunged the five inch blade into the roof of it's soft palate. Withdrawing her hand and quickly summoning her wand she pointed it at the horrid thing's maw and poured all of her will into a simple transfiguration spell. The five inch knife became a five foot sword and punched straight through the basilisk's brain and out of it's skull, leaving a neat hole before the acidic, potent cranial venom melted the steel away.

Too late Cassie realised that she was too close to it. In it's death throes the thousand year old dark creature opened it's jaws wide in agony, scraping one poisonous fang in a deep furrow right through her scar and then it's mouth slammed shut on her left arm.

Pain. mind numbing, screaming, terrble pain.

Inside her forehead behind the famous lightning bolt scar something strange was happening. Imprisoned and encased in a small solid block of a crystalised substance that looked a bit like amber was a piece of Voldemort's soul and right now it was far from happy. This horcrux that had been sealed so snugly and effectively from the world was now reeling in pain. It's protective casing had been damaged. The first time was, ironically, by the spirit of Voldemort himself last year when it had slammed the girl in the head in it's hurry to get out of the castle before Dumbledore came tramping in and finished him off. And now by the blow from that oversized viper. It had left small cracks in the structure. Cracks through which the basilisk venom now came seeping. The semi sentient soul shard was frightened now as the liquid death moved slowly and inexorably towards it. It could literally see it's own demise coming.

Shortcake was shocked and afraid. His mistress, his saviour, his reason for living was dying. He had to help her. He slid from her shoulders and between the teeth of his much larger distant relative and worked his impressive muscles. Slowly, inch by agonising inch the massive jaws were pried open and Cassie, freed from their deadly grip fell to the floor. The little python curled itself around her and started to speak, desperate to keep her awake.

 _"Mistress."_

 _"My mistress. Please. You cannot die on me now little Cass. We have so much to do. So much fun to have. So much more trouble to get in to."_

 _"It's alright my sweet, I'm just going to rest a while."_

 _"No mistress. You. Must. Not. Sleep."_

 _"Just a bit."_

 _"No."_

His protestations were cut shot as all of a sudden there was a blinding flash that lit the chamber like the sun. Albus Dumbledore's phoenix familiar had managed to slip his leash. Fawkes was here at last.

And none too soon he thought as he bent over the broken girl and let his tears fall on to the horrifying, ragged puncture wound in her arm. Fawkes had been anxious all evening and was getting desperate as the feelings of foreboding overtook him and still the old man kept stroking his beard and checking his devices in the Headmaster's office. When he had finally left to have his dinner the distraught phoenix had instantly flashed out of the office and into the chamber of secrets only to find his young charge laying on the ground and already fast succumbing to the basilisks heady venom. He did not need to fake the sadness or coax the tears. They were all too real for this brave little fallen warrior.

Cassie's familiar was staring in disbelief now as the wounds on his mistress started to bubble and smoke as they came into contact with the scruffy bird's tear drops. The basilisk venom was literally being forced and ejected from her body by the wierd liquid coming from this strange creature's leaky glands and before even five minutes was up he looked up into those fabulous emerald eyes that he loved so dearly.

 _"'Lo Shorty."_

He slipped back around her shoulders and rubbed his head along her cheek in affection.

 _"Mistress."_

 _"Didn't think I'd leave you alone now did you?"_

 _"No mistress. Never."_

Cassie turned her attention to the phoenix sat patiently by her side and stroked it's head fondly with her uninjured hand. She gave it a deep bow which it returned gravely and then with another bright flash, the bird was gone back to wherever it came from before it was missed. She sighed and started to test her limbs. Satisfied that everything except her left arm seemed to be working well enough for now she rose cautiously to her knees and shuffled over to the still unconcious Ginny.

Okay, she thought, this might require a bit of an effort but we can't stay down here all night. Weakness wasn't an option right now, she just had to suck it up and get them the hell out of this awful place. She could collapse from exhaustion when she was in the infirmary and not before. Cassie managed to get the slight ginger into position supported by her right arm while Shortcake wrapped around them both and secured the girl in place. Painfully she got to her feet and wobbled unsteadily to the exit with her precious burden wondering if she had the strength to even get them over the rubble let alone up the pipe.

In the end it was her difficulty with the blocked entrance way that saved the two young witches from St. Mungo's mental ward for memory loss. She stumbled on yet another loose block and went down hard on one knee just as the bright obliviation spell crashed into the wall where her head had been one short moment before. Summoning her last remaining reserves Cassie launched an overpowered banishing charm directly into the groin of her unseen attacker flipping him so violently that he landed head first on to the edge of a granite block. There was a sickening thud and the fine mist of warm arterial blood splattered her face. She looked down at her very dead assailant's floppy blonde hair and distinctive flashy robes and groaned to herself.

Oh bollocks.

She'd only gone and killed another Defence professor. Her shredded, jangling nerves had decided that they had had more than enough for one day and she slumped back against the dirty wall unconcious. Shortcake arranged the two girls as comfortably as he was able and slithered off to find that odd looking bird to see if he could somehow raise the alarm. His Cassie and her friend needed help. It was all up to him to fetch it.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**For something that was supposed to be a little side project for me this story has become a bit of a monster. Not that I'm complaining mind but it does make balancing my time between this and Black Madness awfully tricky. Still you seem to be enjoying reading it and I'm definitely enjoying writing it so WTF let's just crack on shall we.**

 **A huge thank-you to Robst for very generously allowing me to use his idea of the horcrux trapped in amber from his story Don't Look back in Anger. I really was stuck on how to do that whole thing. If you haven't read it yet you really should. It's awesome.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **10\. Sweet Black (Haired) Angel.**

Deja vu. She had read about this feeling in a book on psychology that she had picked up some years ago back home in Wales. The feeling that something which was occuring for the first time had actually happened before. Cassie took it all in. The crisp feel of the sheets, the smell of the infirmary disinfectant, the weight on her arm and the sight of dark red hair splayed out across her stomach. Yep. Deja bloody vu. Definitely.

She reached out for her glasses knowing through the experience of her many previous visits here that they would be on the side table to the left hand side of her hospital bed. Ignoing the dull, throbbing pain in her left arm she retrieved her spectacles and placed them awkwardly on her face before dropping the injured limb back onto the bed. The movement awakened her companion and she smiled as she looked right into the sleepy brown eyes of her friend.

"Cassie! You're awake. Thank Merlin, I thought I'd lost you."

Susan Bones climbed fully up on to the bed and engulfed the black haired girl in a tight embrace. She wept into the pillow as she held her and mumbled a few sweet nothings into Cassie's ear before pulling back slightly and giving her a tear filled glare.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again. I can't lose you. I just ... can't."

Thankfully her anger was short lived and she soon snuggled up into the other girl snffling back her tears.

Cassie was struggling with her feelings which were swaying between being annoyed that Susan was making her arm hurt with all the limpet like hugging and being oddly, inexplicably happy with the close proximity of the red headed cuddle monkey. She decided that happy was probably more conducive to her recovery and went with that one, wiggling her right arm free, lifting her friends chin with one finger and giving her a light, comforting kiss on the lips. This was apparently not enough for Susan who instantly responded by opening her eyes and deepening the kiss, taking it to a very different place than the innocent friendly peck that Cassie had intended.

Not that it was unpleasant or unwelcome. Just ... unexpected.

For a first kiss it wasn't half bad in fact. Despite the fact that she had just woken up in hospital. Again.

First kiss. First kiss. This was her first kiss. She wasn't quite thirteen years old and this was her first real kiss. With a girl. No. With Susan. With 'her' girl.

Cassie's mind was currently going a mile minute trying to process all of this new information about her friend and her proclivities (and about her own if she was being perfectly honest) when the pain in her forehead exploded.

Behind her scar in the cracked and splintered protective shell the residual venom of the basilisk had finally reached it's target and Voldemort's last horcrux was screaming in agony. The soul shard had watched it's oncoming doom slow to the point of almost stopping. Almost. Then in a great rush as his unwitting host was jostled around in the relieved, excited, over enthusiastic embrace of her friend the cracks widened and the poison flooded in. As the horcrux died in writhing terror, the remains of it's temprary prison exploded outwards pushing hard shards of glass like material out of Cassie's forehead.

A shocked and frightened Susan jumped off her bleeding, screaming friend (Girlfriend? Friend? Now is sooo not the time Bones) and staggered back from the bed shouting for the healer. For anybody to help. Help her beautiful, brave Cassie. She almost groaned aloud when she noticed that both Dumbledore and MacGonnagal were with Madame Pomfrey as she shot out of her office and rushed towards them. Cassie didn't trust the Headmaster or his deputy and she had come to the same conclusion after throwing up her dinner three nights ago and discovering a powerful potion residue in the mess. Having been purged she had run straight to the hospital wing to be with her Cassie and had refused to leave or eat anything but fruit since. Clearer thinking resumed her suspicious mind had led her to believe that Dumbledore had been dosing the school so they wouldn't complain to their parents or governors and get the place shut down. Her Aunt would have approved of her logical analytical thinking and conclusions. She had just felt sick.

An hour later the two professors and the healer were stood exhausted at the foot of the hospital cot looking at the small, bloody, battered girl fitully twitching in her sleep. Poppy Pomfrey recovered the power of speech first.

"Albus what in the nine hells was that?"

The Headmaster considered his options and then turned his wand on the startled nurse.

"Obliviate."

As he swivelled to perform the same charm on his deputy head he was faced with a extremely pissed off looking Minerva MacGonnagal pointing her wand right between his eyes at point blank range. Gone was the genial scot he had befriended before the war and in her place was the talented and powerful witch who had fought the worst of the Dark Lord's followers to a bloody standstill. Her broad Gallic brogue gave him some indication of just how pissed off she was with him.

"Try it ya beardy old shite. I dare ye tae try it."

"Now now Minerva, it's really not as bad as it looks."

The furious woman just growled menacingly at him. Discretion being the better part of valour Albus Dumbledore walked slowly backwards to the entrance of the infirmary, then turned and fled to the quiet sanctuary of his office. Damn. Now all he had to rely on were his books to try and find out what had happened to that horcrux in the Evans brat's head. Minerva was sure to keep her away from him until she went home next week.

It was a quiet train ride back to London. Susan glanced over at Luna and they smiled at their respective but all too similar positions across the cabin from each other. Ginny was laying asleep with her head in the odd blonde girl's lap while cuddled into her stomach, giving the cutest little snores and snuffles was the girl who was fast becoming her very reason for breathing. Cassie Evans. Ginny had haltingly given her friends the full, horrifying story of the school year from her perspective and of her half remembered rescue in the chamber of secrets. The small ginger's copious tears betrayed her feelings of guilt at the death and destruction she had unwittingly unleashed upon the population of Hogwarts as well as the gratitude she felt for her saviour. This green eyed goddess who had faced down the shade of Voldemort and a thousand year old basilisk just to save a skinny little first year that she barely even knew.

Susan became aware of those same emerald green orbs looking up at her and as their eyes locked they both blushed a deep red remembering the heated snogging session in the hospital wing last week. She forced herself to look away and coughed to cover her embarrassment.

"So Cass, where are you staying this summer."

Cassie sat up groggily, blinked a few times, rubbed her eyes to clear away the crusties and shrugged resignedly before signing out.

 **Don't know. I'll probably just stay at the Leaky Cauldron again.**

"I'd invite you to stay with me but I don't think Aunt Amelia would allow it ... considering that ... I ... you know ... like you ... and all."

Susan finshed with a blush. Cassie glanced at her and then quickly away again her own face reddening to match. None of this escaped the blonde girl across from them or the newly awoken Ginny Weasley who looked on with sleepy interest and smiled briefly for the first time in many months. The two younger girls smirked in amusement at their furiously blushing companions and made a silent vow to encourage this kind of adorable behaviour in the future. It would give them plenty of teasing material and hopefully provide them with some much needed fun. Right now, however, they had to persuade Cassie that there was a better option than staying at Diagon Alley.

"Well you could always stay with me at The Rook. Ginny will be staying anyway while her family are in Egypt and I'm sure Daddy won't mind one more guest. It will be another person to help in our annual snorcack hunt."

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"It really will be fun despite that and I ... I could really use your help ... with ... coming to terms with things."

Cassie peered closely at the two of them trying to discern the slightest hint of pity at her living arrangements. Finding nothing but the hope of friendship in their open expressions, one she knew from her own lonely experience, she smiled back at them both and nodded once.

"Oh goody. We're going to have ever so much fun. There are faeries and blibbering humdingers to play with and lots of mice for your snake to chase. Perhaps Susan can come over too."

Blushes were renewed, laughter was had and summer plans were made.

Somewhere off of the North Sea coast on a jagged rocky island in cell three hundred and ninety of Azkaban Prison an emaciated, ragged, black haired man stared at the contraband newspaper and scowled. The picture in front of him was of a gaggle of smiling redheads, one of whom was holding tightly to a squirming and very familiar rat under the headline; Arthur Weasley and family winners of the Daily Prophet June Lottery. The man carefully tore the picture from the paper and hid it beneath his prison rags as he plotted his freedom break from the supposedly inescapeable fortress. Whatever the rat was planning to do he would stop him. He would visit an old friend and hopefuly save his God-daughter at the same time. Sirius Black was now a man on a mission.

"Are you sure about this Luna?"

"Oh no, not at all, but Cassie wants it and I think we should help her don't you?"

"I suppose so."

Ginny looked over at her oldest friend and gave her a resigned shrug. It had all started with the black haired girl admiring Luna's paintings in the dining room at The Rook where the three of them were spending their summer. Cassie had been staring at them for a while before pulling up her sleeve and tracing the horrendous scar from the basilisk's bite that ran for nearly an entire twelve inches along her left bicep. She had looked between the painting and her arm for a while and then run off to the bedroom that they shared to return a few minutes later with a book on magical tattoos. After some vigorous and heated discussion among the three young witches Luna had finally caved in and agreed to paint the girl's arm to cover up her now deformed limb and Luna's father had airily said that he would enchant it in the approved fashion. As Ginny had found to be the usual case with Cassie's plans things got out of hand rather quickly.

It seemed that Xenophilius Lovegood was as susceptible to Cassie's wide eyed charms as everyone else and one tattoo had turned into two, which in turn had led to her now asking that Ginny's drawing of her be done as one as well. It wasn't often that the youngest Weasley had regretted her modest artistic talents but this was definitely one of those times. She had presented Cassie with the drawing as a small token of her thanks for saving her in the chamber and for her unwavering consequent friendship. The portrait depicted her black haired savour as a winged and armoured angel holding a bloody sword at her side standing on a pile of skulls. It was the darkest thing she had ever drawn but it seemed to fit her new friends demeanor and attitude so well that she hadn't even paused to consider it's meaning.

Cassie had loved it. Which was why luna was now painting it on to her back with the special, magical inks using a fine threstral hair brush, altering it slightly to smooth out the rough edges and to give it an even more sinister look, finishing it off with two words in gothic script above the image on Cassie's neck;

Tenebris Angelus.

Dark Angel.

When the art was finished and Luna's father had done the appropriate charmwork to make it move and to make it permanent even Ginny had to admit that it was absolutely stunning. Cassie stood and gave them all a twirl in her cargo pants and sports bra to show off her new tattoos.

On her left arm was a basilisk coiled around a broadsword, on her right hip a Welsh flag with the legend; Made in Wales, and running right across her back from her neck to the pants line was the fearsome looking dark angel. Despite her previous reservations Ginny thought that she looked utterly magnificent. Luna's bluhes told her that her friend thought the same. She felt her heart miss a beat or two. Dear Merlin that girl is beautiful. Dark and dangerous sure enough but beautiful all the same. When the two if them finally decided to admit their feelings to each other she thought that Susan would be a very lucky girl. Of course Ginny wasn't about to tell her dark angel any of this.

"Oh my Cassie but I could just eat you up, you look as delicious as a fairy fruit pie. you'll be beating off the wrackspurts with a stick."

Luna on the other hand didn't have her natural filter between her brain and her mouth.

In the the depths of the Ministry of Magic in the department of mysteries there was a library. Access to it was hardly ever granted and it was controllled by the hardest and most powerful wizards that Magical Britain had to offer. The unspeakables. Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock of the Wizangamot Albus Dumbledore was one of the few people granted unlimited use of this great resource and he was making good use of it now. Four thick tomes sat on the large desk in front of him and he flitted between them making notes with his quill as he perused the dark secrets of soul shards and horcrux lore. Nothing made sense. It was simply impossible that a slip of a girl had succeeded where the greatest mind in three centuries (himself) had failed, and yet it was an undeniable fact that Voldemort's last horcrux was gone.

In the space of a week that damned little half blood bitch had managed to destroy two soul shards. Something that he himself had never been able to do. Dumbldore considered briefly changing tactics in regard to the Evans girl but quickly decided that it wasn't in the interests of the greater good to do so. There were still more out there and he would still have to mould her into his weapon against them. Annoyingly she wouldn't now have to die in order for the Dark Lord to be defeated but just because she didn't have to didn't mean that it couldn't be arranged anyway. He was sure that he could manouvre people and events to end the nasty little brat and then he, Albus the Great, would step in to save the day once more and Britain would be his. Forever.

Sat at an outside table in Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour three giggling, excited girls were cooing and admiring their friend's stylish new haircut as she sat grumpilly stabbing her spoon into her sundae and scowling in annoyance. Cassie had been ambushed. Early this morning she had been pulled from her warm, comfy bed, washed, fed and watered and then dragged to Diagon Alley for a 'day of fun'. Once there they had met with Susan and the four of them had hit the beauty salon where she had been primped, pampered and attacked with scissors before being alllowed to see the results. The mirror had revealed what wonders could be worked with three hours and a dedicated team of beauty therapists. She looked fabulous. Then it was time for clothes shopping. Susan and Luna had squealed with delight, she and Ginny had groaned in resignation. For someone who had never really celebrated birthdays this had all been a bit too much hence her attack of the grumps now.

 **Whose idea was it to make me look like Ruby Rose?**

"Well we know that she's your favourite aminey character and we thought the style would really suit you ... and ... well it does. Doesn't it?"

 **The word is anime Suze and yes it is very pretty but did you really have to include the red highlights?**

"But they make you look soooo adorable and soooo hot." Susan slapped her hand over her own mouth and went an interesting shade of scarlet.

Cassie studied her blushing friend carefully. She was well aware of the effect that she had been having on the red head lately, more so after the infirmary 'incident' and had experimented with new and fun ways to make Susan blush ever since. The fact that she herself wasn't exactly immune to the blushing and stammering when the other girl returned her decidedly fruity banter was not lost on Cassie. It seemed as though feelings were developing between them and while they were new and exciting she wasn't sure that his was a good development. They had been friends for less than a year and she thought that deepening their bond into a romantic relationship this early could destroy everything that the two had built. Plus they were still very young. Perhaps next summer she would consider more but whenever it happened she was most definitely going to make Susan do all the running. She wasn't going to give it away. Miss Bones was going to have to work for it if she wanted her that badly.

The two of them snorted together in amusement joining in the howls of laughter of the other girls and mood successfully lightened the girls made their way to Flourish and Botts. It was her birthday after all and she was damned well going to go and enjoy some book shopping. Whatever the others thought about it.

Later that night after the party was over and the exhausted young women were all tucked up in their respective beds Cassie pulled on her new black jeans and hoodie and slipped, barefoot and silent downstairs to the kitchen. She paused to look around before taking out her shiny new dagger and giving it the proper inspection this gorgeous piece of wicked steel that the Goblins had gifted to her deserved.

Upon her entry into Gringotts that afternoon to replenish her much depleted gold supplies Cassie had been instructed to wait and was once again escorted to the door of her account manager. Throatrip it appeared had been so delighted with her latest exploits that he had persuaded the Goblin nation to make her a new weapon to replace the melted switchblade. He had thrilled to the tale of her destruction of the basilisk and given grunting laughter at the death of the idiot wizard who had dared to attack such a dangerous soul as herself even though he had heard it all from his agents at the school immediately after the event. It was then that Throatrip had gifted her this impressive weapon that while looking like a normal, if slightly large, dagger would shape itself into whatever the girl currently required.

The girl tip toed out into the garden and after a careful survey of the area had deemed it safe, began to practice her moves with the short, enchanted blade and the yew wand. A few minutes of warm up and the beautiful, deadly dance began in earnest as Cassie became more and more caught up in her graceful, balletic movements with the feather light wand and the perfectly balanced dagger. She whirled and twirled and swished and stabbed destroying her unseen opponents. Her anger rising, in her mind she saw the troll, Voldemort, Quirrel, the basilisk, Tom Riddle and finally the devil himself. Albus bloody Dumbledore. As she lunged one last time she pushed all of her will into the knife imagining the hypocritical old Headmaster's image in front of her. It erupted into a three foot sword and half buried itself in the trunk of the Lovegood's solitary apple tree at groin height. Pulling it free easilly by simply making it ten percent smaller she whipped the elongated blade around and severed four stout branches with a single arcing strike.

Watching from the upstairs window in the warmth of the bedroom Cassie's python thought that the grin that was bursting out on her face at that moment would have terrified the most hardened of aurors. Even that stern looking relative of the mistress' red haired strumpet would have been given pause. He was an actual serpent and even he thought it was creepy. The Gods alone knew what the rest of the world would think if she ever really unleashed herself upon her enemies.

"She's magnificent isn't she Shortcake."

The aforementioned red haired strumpet (or Susan to her friends) had joined him at the window and was cooing soft human words while gazing adoringly at his little mistress. The snake familiar decided that as corrupters of the young and innocent went this one at least had the sense to be in love with the most brilliant witch on the face of the Earth. His own little Cass. He made his approval known by coiling loosely around her neck, rubbing his head affectionately against her cheek and giving a soft hiss.

They watched together in companionable, silent awe as Cassie went to work once more pirouetting and seemingly slicing the very moonlight with the flashing, brutal blade.

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 **Yes I know RWBY wasn't around in the '90's but screw it, the look really fits my image of Cassie. Short and badass but still feminine.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for taking two whole chapters for this summer but certain things needed to put into motion before we carry on. As I said before this is all just setting up for where this fic was supposed to start and the more I looked, the more things needed to be explained. Unlikely friendships, enmities and alliances.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **11\. Come Together.**

August the eleventh was Ginny's birthday and she was having a party. Unlike the one a couple of weeks previously which had been a spontaneous, raucous, girls only giggle fest at her best friend's house a mile and a half away, this party was going to be a sober affair. This was due in no small part to the fact that it was organised by her recently returned family and her parents idea of fun most certainly did not involve playing with snakes, wild goose chases for non existant magical beasts or any form of dancing. Molly Weasley had arranged a sedate evening of board games followed by a special birthday dinner. It was all very proper, very sweet and almost unbearably dull. Still at least Ginny had managed to persuade her parents to invite Luna and Cassie over for the evening. Those two irrepressible, irresponsible lunatics were sure to liven things up a bit. She couldn't wait.

She had been pretty upset when her entire family had up and left her for the half the summer after winning the Daily Prophet lottery despite her obvious injury and depressive state of mind that followed in the wake of all that had happened at Hogwarts this year. They had always been a tight family and this action by her nearest and dearest had greatly surprised her. It hadn't surprised her friends though, who had sat her down to explain their theories about the Headmaster and his use of loyalty potions on the school's population (and possbly others) to avoid the trouble that would inevitably come with having a sixty foot basilisk running around killing his students. She had needed some pretty serious comforting at this point. Her parents were among Dumbledore's most ardent admirers and would not think twice about acting on any suggestion of his. Even if it involved abandoning their only daughter in her hour of desperate need.

This all made for a pretty tense birthday celebration until a knock at the door signalled that the real entertainment had finally arrived. Arthur ushered the two stangely well dressed, grinning idiots into the sitting room and her scowling face split into a grin of her own as she leapt at the pair of them.

"Lulu! Rubes! Thank Merlin you're here. At last."

"Hmmm. Oh hello Gingey. Sorry we're late, the slippery nargles were just ferocious tonight. They kept stealing our underwear."

Ginny sniggered at their new nicknames for each other and translated the Luna speak to mean that Cassie's python had got all huffy about being left alone tonight and had made them give him a bit of a fuss before they left. They had decided not to bring him along so that they would avoid freaking out the Weasley's any more than was absolutley necessary.

"Well I suppose you're forgiven then ... Well?" She held out her hand. "Come on then ... Presents."

"Ginny dont be so rude!" Molly amonished only to be stunned into silence by the sight of the three girls laughing and hugging.

With Luna's continual strange and off the wall comments and Cassie's tendancy to start playing dangerously with her dinner knife whenever she caught Ron or Percy glaring at her, the meal suddenly became a lot more entertaining for the birthday girl. This was not an opinion Molly seemed to share as she watched her little girl interacting freely with these two oddballs at her table. The Weasley matriarch decided that she and her daughter would be having a long, mostly one sided, conversation about making some more suitable, less mad, friends in the morning. Her sons had been complaining about the Evans girl for the past two years (backed up by Albus' own insightful observations) and, saviour or no, she was the offspring of that slutty muggle born witch who had dragged the poor Potters through the mud. As for Luna. Well she was just ... Luna. She was going to put a stop to this 'friendship' as soon as possible. She didn't want her Ginny contaminated by these freaks.

At the incredibly boring annual summer ball in the Ministry of Magic's main Atrium Susan waved away another offer of a dance from another purebred scion and hoped that her friends were having a better time than she was. She was more than a little annoyed that she had to miss Ginny's birthday for this ... event, but there was no arguing with Aunt Amelia when she had set her mind to something. As pompous and stupid as this ball was it was important for her career. Connections needed to be made. Alliances secured. Plots dismantled. As the head of the DMLE Amelia Bones had to be here, and so did Susan. However much she hated it.

"Good evening Miss Bones."

She looked up into the cold, disdainful faces of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and their son.

"Good evening Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy. Draco"

Why in Merlin's name were these three up themselves aristocrats talking to her?

"I hope your studies are progressing well at school."

Something was going on.

"Yes thank-you."

"Draco tells us that you are doing rather well in class."

Oh balls, she thought as she caught on. That mention of their idiot son. Prising her academic prowess. They were sounding her out as a potential match for the blonde ponce. Oh _hell_ no. She was going to have do something to put them off and she was going to have to do it damned fast. Susan suppressed an evil grin as a wonderful idea popped into her head.

"Yes but it helps when you have loyal and clever friends like Cassie to help out."

Draco paled and shifted nervously.

"Cassie?"

"Cassandra Evans. She has been a great inspiration and a great friend. She's been teaching me all sorts of useful things this year. I believe she even managed to impart some wisdom about the ancient art of duelling to Draco here."

"Really?"

Lucius looked sceptical.

"Oh yes. Remind me Draco, how many spells did she cast at you before you passed out? Two was it? Oh no, my mistake. It was one wasn't it."

Lord Malfoy regarded his pale, sweating scion who appeared to be trying to stare a hole into the floor large enough to disappear into. He managed to hold his anger in check for now. That could wait until he got the boy home. Then and only then would he be letting his heir know just how disappointed he was with him for losing a duel to an inferior half blood, and a girl at that. It seemed that a refresher course in the responsibilties of his position was long overdue.

Draco risked a glance at his father and shuddered slightly feeling suddenly very ill. The man was still and pensive but utterly in control. He knew then that he was in a world of trouble. There were two main rules in both Slytherin and at home. First, don't start a fight that you know you can't win and second, if you're going to cheat, don't get caught. He had done both. Damn that Bones slut. She might be all kinds of hot but she had just royally screwed him and not in a good way. He would not forget it.

Susan grinned and gave the three blondes a cheery wave as they stomped unhappily away.

"Ready to go Susan?"

"Yes please Auntie."

"You seem very chipper. Don't tell me you actually had some fun tonight."

"You know what. I really did."

Amelia raised an eyebrow as she looked over her beaming niece. She had, of course, overheard the entire conversation with the Malfoys and whole heartedly approved of the girl's brilliant demolition of Draco's reputation and standing with his parents.

"I think that young Miss Evans is a rather good influence on you." She whispered as she led the shocked redhead off to the floo station.

The old cottage in Little Hangleton was a dark and brooding building, complementing it's owner's dour demeanor perfectly. The witch in the emerald green robe approached it cautiously and with a little trepidation in her heart. One did not go lightly to a meeting with a former death eater no matter how reformed everyone thought them. She paused only briefly at the door to gird her loins, figuratively speaking, before grasping the old fashioned door knocker and rapping sharply twice. At the softly spoken invitation she entered, keeping one hand tightly upon her hidden wand.

"Severus. Filius."

"Minerva."

"Hello Minerva dear. Would you like some tea?"

Minerva MacGonnagal relaxed somewhat seeing her old friend, the charms professsor, in attendance and made a blatent show of putting her wand back in it's wrist holster. Once the tea was served and the niceties were observed the trio of professors relaxed back into their easy chairs and got down to the business end of the evening. Snape started the proceedings off.

"First off I'd like to thank both of you for coming. I know that neither of you fully trusts me, and nor should you, but your attendance here this evening is greatly appreciated."

He looked hard at his guests and rested his sharp chin upon long, steepled fingers.

"Secondly I would like to secure a wizard's oath that we three never discuss the details of this meeting with any other parties unless all of us are in agreement that we should do so."

"Why?"

Severus Snape almost smiled at the Scot's bluntness. Almost.

"Because, Minerva, we are going to discuss two of the most dangerous and deadly people in Hogwarts, and quite possibly the the whole of the magical world. Our esteemed Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore and Cassandra Evans."

That shut her up pretty quickly. Her faith in the old man had been seriously shaken over the last few weeks of the last academic year and she had the feeling that it was not going to be reinstated by whatever revelations the potions master would be offering up tonight. A part of her didn't want to know, didn't want her trust in her old friend finally and irrevocably broken. The brutally honest and straightforward gallic part of her, however, wanted to hear exactly what sort of dangerous games he was playing with the lives of her students. She and Filius glanced at one another in confusion, then shrugging both leaned forward and drew their wands to swear an oath on their magic.

Four hours and two bottles of Ogden's Finest firewhisky later each of them sat in silence, together in body but alone deep in their respective thoughts, ruminating on the fresh perspective that each member of their newly formed little group had brought to the table. Seen in isolation, none of their viewpoints were conclusive, but together? The mounting evidence against the old man was pretty damning. According to their collective observations he had used loyalty potions on both teachers and pupils, obliviated and memory charmed professors and had overtly encouraged bullying almost to the point of sadism. Then there was his treatment of the 'girl who lived'. Albus had consistantly gone out of his way to separate and alienate the girl from the rest of the school and had purposefully manufactured siuations to cause her extreme pain and put her more than once into mortal danger. Far from aiding the saviour of their world it looked as if he was actively trying to kill her, if not himself, then at least by proxy.

He had to be stopped.

Minerva, Filius and Severus unbeknown to each other were all sharing the same thoughts. That they would individually and together do their utmost to support the poor, young orphaned witch who had endured such an incredibly harsh and terrible start to her life. The three of them took their own silent vows to their Gods. Cassie Evans would know what it was to be loved and respected and admired. They would be there whenever and wherever she needed them. Working in secret to keep her safe and to bring down any who wished her harm.

Their reddened eyes met across the room and they clinked their glasses together in recognition of their resolve. After a drunken night in a cold cottage Albus Dumbledore's retirement committee had just been formed.

"Slange var!"

It was with a rare smile that Amelia Bones watched her niece giggle hysterically as she was lifted in the air and enthusiastically whirled around and around in the middle of Platform nine and three quarters by a black haired bundle of energy. She also noted with great interest that almost everyone else in the vicinity was scowling at their very public display of affection for one another. Apart that is from the two younger looking witches who ran full speed to join in their group hug with manic grins and squeals of delight. It was good to see Susan, or 'Cuddles' as she had been named (much to Amelia's amusement) by her crush, smiling for once. She had worried that her ward had been far too gloomy and serious of late but seeing her light up like this at the mere presence of her friends and, especially the girl who held her heart so obviously and completely, made her smile even wider. If only Susan's parents could have lived to see this. They would have been so proud. Just as she was. She made a promise to herself to invite these exuberant young women to Bones Manor to spend the Yuletide holiday with them. If only to see her only niece smile like that again.

"They are rather sweet together aren't they."

"Yes they are. Hello Xenophilius."

They looked on indulgently as the giggling gaggle of girls made their way onto the train with a great deal of fuss and noise. As the four witches disappeared into a vacant carriage in a tangle of limbs, trunks, bags and pet cages Amelia waved one last time and turned to her companion.

"Would you like to join me for a coffee Xeno. You can tell me all about that extraordinary young woman that spent all summer with you and who seems to have captured the hearts of our girls so entirely."

He agreed with alarming speed.

Neither of them noticed, as they turned and headed for Diagon Alley, the rather thin, mangy looking black dog half hidden in the shadows of the platform and watching the departing train with cool gray eyes. Since his recent escape from Azkaban Sirius Black had been having trouble shifting from his animagus form back into himself. It was ridiculous but his dementor infested dreams seemed to affect him less as a dog would let him once in a while think about his remaining family. His beautiful god-daughter. It had thrilled him to see her so happy and he would try to see to it that she remained so. The shaggy mutt shook his head to clear away his watering eyes and trotted off to begin the long, arduous journey to Scotland. He was off to catch a rat.

"Good Morning ladies. I wonder if you would mind the company of a tired old man for the journey."

Cassie subjected the man to a long hard stare which would have made Paddington Bear very proud and perhaps even a little jealous. There was something distinctly off about him, she could feel it in her bones, which could only mean one thing.

 _"New Defense professor mistress?"_

 _"It would seem so my sweet."_

 _"Do you think we'll end up killing this one too?"_

 _"I hope not. It would be nice to have a quiet year."_

 _"Soooo ... That's a yes then."_

 _"Not helping Shortcake."_

The man looked on in horror as after their brief 'conversation' the python waggled his head back and forth in a terrible and terrifying parody of serpentine laughter while the black haired girl lowered her eyes and smiled. The only word that came to mind when he saw that grim, humourless smile on the face of his dead friend's daughter was ... Creepy. The seconds dragged on as the two stared at each other and then quite suddenly, as if a switch had been flicked, she took the hand of her red headed friend and pulled the girl onto her lap with a squeak. Now Cassie was stroking and kissing the other girl's furiously blushing cheek with a tenderness and sincerity that surprised and confused him. He supposed that it shouldn't really have. Her mother was just the same. Hot tempered and fiercely loyal. Albus' warnings were correct. This girl was a true Goddess of chaos.

Remus Lupin sat back into his seat and watched the girls at play until he drifted off into a deep, comforting slumber dreaming of red hair and emerald green eyes. Of pranks and marauders. Of long dead friends and past glories.

While he slept two dozen large, shadowy, cloaked fgures moved swiftly and silently across the countryside towards the scarlet steam train and it's cargo of fresh, happy young souls. The screams of the living heralded the approach of Azkaban's undead guards.

The dementors were coming. And they were very hungry.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	12. Chapter 12

**You guys are seriously the best. I can't believe the amount of favourites and follows that this thing has accrued, and the reviews. Oh the reviews. Be still my fluttering heart.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **12\. House of Fun.**

The soul sucking horrors were gone and Hermione was pelting along the along the corridor of the Hogwarts Express, shouldering her way through frightened students and closed carriage doors, desperate to get to her destination. Her brief encounter with the dementors had left her feeling frightened and alone and God only knew what that meant they would have done to _her_. Even though they hadn't spoken in over a year and a half she still wanted to be there for _her_. For the girl who had literally no happy memories whatsoever. She must be terrified. Hermione had to get to where she was. To hold her and comfort her. And so she ran. She ran to the black haired girl with the extraordinary, soulful green eyes and the heart of a lion. She ran to Cassie and hoped that it wasn't too late.

Fear was not an emotion that dementors were used to. Well not for themselves anyway. The two that were currently in the doorway of this particular cabin of the train, however, were becoming intimately accquainted with that emotion. It had seemed such an easy target for them, the three small human females and a broken old werewolf would have made a fine meal. Now it had all gone terribly wrong. The black haired witch had fallen to their terror for less than half a minute before they had burned through all of her, surprisingly few, happy memories and then she had simply shrugged them off before standing to confront them. They stood transfixed as the girl approached them to came nose to nose with the dark creatures, dropped the goblin dagger into her right hand and slowly smiled as the blade began to lengthen and thicken at her silent command. There was a fierce power in her, they could sense it and they were afraid. They backed away staring at the now large obsidian sword in the girl's pale, delicate hand. Fear became panic.

Hermione was about to wrench open the door leading to the carriage that she had watched her former friend enter at Kings Cross, when one of the very soul sucking demons she was coming to protect Cassie from, hit the glass with considerable force, decorating it with blood and a spiders web of cracks. She retreated quickly back a few steps behind a partition and watched in fascinated horror as a black blade exploded through the dementors upper torso. The excruciating pain was evident on it's twisted features as the blade paused, swiftly withdrew, then whipped horizontally at a slightly elevated level severing the demon's head and coating the corridor with bright red blood. She stared at the twitching corpse for a moment before looking up and straight into the glowing emerald eyes and blood splattered, smiling face of Cassandra Evans. The girl gave her a measured nod, then reached down to retrieve her gruesome prize before turning and striding back to her cabin.

Anyone who saw Hermione Granger come stumbling back through the train a few minutes later would wonder why the brightest witch of her generation was muttering two words under her breath over and over.

Too late. Too late. Too late.

As the door to the cabin closed and the blood covered girl returned to her seat Remus shivered. He was horrified (and secretly very impressed) with what had just occurred. Through the haze of the dementor induced fear that had pervaded the small space he had felt, rather than seen, the girl's anger rise like a moon tide to crash down upon their assailants with a ferocity that he never knew existed in this world. And having been on the receiving end of her mother's temper on several memorable occasions that was really saying something. But this was on a whole other level. The 'saviour of the wizarding world' and his best friend's daughter was a dark and dangerous witch who had just slaughtered two of the nightmares of Azkaban and not even broken a sweat.

The professor looked on as her friends fussed over her, cleaning her up to the best of their ability and not seeming at all phased or scared by the girl's actions. The ginger girl, Molly and Arthur Weasley's youngest he assumed, noticed his slack jawed appearance and favoured him with a small smile before shrugging slightly.

"Saving us. It's just ... you know ... what she does."

Remus was thinking that the Headmaster had somewhat over exagerrated the dark, murderous side of the young witch as he watched her embarrass the Bones girl again by kissing her on the nose. Not that it wasn't a part of her, it most certainly was, but there was also something a whole lot more to her than that. Her light side was just as strong as the dark and extremely adorable at that. He leaned back and considered that as much as she was like the young Lily in a lot of ways at least he wouldn't have to worry about her getting pregnant by accident. Not when you took into account Cassandra's, blatantly obvious preferences in the romantic stakes. The old werewolf smiled to himself and settled in to resume his rudely interrupted nap.

Cassie's arrival in the Great Hall this year was very different to her two previous entrances and a true lesson in the intimidation of the masses. The billowing black robe was revealing glimpses of the two severed heads tied to her belt by their lank hair as she sauntered up to the teacher's table, her mouth twitching in amusement when she caught the Headmaster's gimlet eye. Susan, Ginny and Luna followed in her wake observing the shudders and gasps of the other students as she passed. The three young women who came with her were making as much of a statement tonight as their angel faced friend.

Dumbledore watched darkly in mounting discontent as the new power clique of Hogwarts School seated themselves at the Hufflepuff table in blatant disregard of tradition and chatted amiably to each other until the sorting began.

While Luna was left very much alone, studiously but politely ignored, on her first night back in her common room, nobody wanting a repeat of last years display by the girl's scary and psychotic protector, Ginny and Susan were not so lucky. Susan Bones had faced a serious, sad and disappointed talking to by her peers in the Hufflepuff community with people that she had considered good friends telling her that she had made a big mistake revealling her allegiance. Hannah in particular had given her a hard time about it, all but begging the Bones heiress to reconsider before taking this lonely path to be with the school freaks. The red head was so incensed by their attitude that she ended up making some incredibly rude suggestions about what exactly they could do to and with themselves before grabbing her, still packed, trunk and storming out of the basement. Ginny Weasley's reception was considerably more unpleasant.

The crowd of angry faces that greeted Ginny's arrival in Gryffindor tower was led by her moronic older brother and his idiot pals. Ronald. The vitriol that he spewed from his nasty, ugly, jealous mouth was not unexpected but when he moved on from her, supposed, betrayal of her family and Housemates and started in on Cassie, her temper finally snapped. Her normally soft caramel eyes hardened and smouldered with a new found hatred for her sibling as without warning she stepped forward and kicked him right in his balls. As the breath went out of him and he bent over Ginny brought her knee up sharply into his face breaking his nose and putting him on his back, then wand in hand she glared at the other Gryffindor'as daring them to say another word before she too left her House in fury. Not one person returned her gaze or barred her exit. Nobody wanted to end up like poor old Ronald.

The ex lion and the ex badger ran into each other at the bottom the stairs that led to 'Cassie's' ruined tower and exchanged a pained, pointed look between them.

"You too?"

"Yeah. Bugger. I wish I'd remembered to grab my trunk."

Light skipping footseps were heard behind them as a third voice piped up.

"It's alright Gingey I met these two lovely, nargle free chaps here with your belongings outside of Ravenclaw tower and they insisted on carrying them all the way here. Isn't that right gentlemen? ... Gentlemen?"

Two identical, gangly, red headed youths came puffing, out of breath around the corner dragging both Ginny's and Luna's luggage between them and, dropping them at their feet, leaned against the wall with two similar pained expressions.

"Alright Sis." A panting Fred whispered.

"Merlin's soggy pants. What the bloody hell have you got in there Gin. Nearly bloody killed us that did." His twin brother moaned with a grin.

"Fred! George!"

Ginny flew into her cool and funny but annoying big brothers' arms. With the tears threatening now she disentangled herself from them and turned to bury her head in Luna's shoulder, sniffling slightly. Suddenly her eyes snapped open.

"You can't be here."

"Well ... "

"Thanks a lot ... "

"Next time you can ... "

"Carry your own bloody ... "

"Trunk."

The twins carried out their double act with identical faux hurt faces.

"No. It's not that ... I mean ... thank-you for binging my stuff and all ... but you can't be here. It's just that Cassie gets all jumpy and ... you know ... well ... violent ... if people know were she stays at night. Sorry."

"What more than you?" Fred whistled in fearful awe.

"Yeah, yeah. It's okay Sis. we won't tell anyone."

"You can trust us Gin."

"And so can she."

The two boys hugged their little sister and ran off back to do whatever nefarious deeds that they had planned for the rest of the night (hopefully hexing Ron, she thought) leaving the girls alone at the foot of the stairs. They giggled at the Weasley twins antics, all their anger forgotten for the moment, and started chatting as they headed up to what would hopefully be their new accomodations. Assuming they could persuade Cassie to share her room with them that is.

As it turned out Cassie hadn't needed much persuasion at all. The three homeless witches had simply turned her own patented sad puppy look, that she had herself used to get her own way in the past, back on her and the geen eyed girl had crumbled instantly. She might have valued her privacy very highly once upon a time but after the incredible summer that she had just experienced she had come to look upon these three girls as, not just her best friends, but as her family. And family shared everything. Including her pet snake apparently. Cassie smiled contentedly as she looked at her six foot python stretched out asleep across their four tangled up warm bodies and giving cute little hissing snake snores. Having family was really nice.

Four days later they were sat in Professor MacGonnagal's office waiting for their meeting to start.

 **Why are we doing this again?**

"Because not all of us are used to not taking baths for weeks on end Cassandra Marguerite Evans."

Whoops. Susie must be in a really bad mood if her whole name was coming out. That meant that Cassie was in a crap load of trouble if she couldn't mollify the fiery red head somehow.

"Hygiene is important. Scougifys are not enough and there is only one teacher in this place that can transfigure what we need, so keep your temper under control and your wicked thoughts to yourself. Understood?"

 **Cuddles?**

"Yes. What?"

 **Love you.**

Ginny and Luna were still giggling at their interaction and Susan's impressive blushes when the stern looking Deputy Headmistress entered the office and sat stiffly behind her desk. Miss bones' request for a meeting after school was surprising enough for her to make some discrete enquiries among her more trusted prefects and to encourage Filius and Severus to do the same. The resulting information that all of these young women had been basically evicted from their dorms did not make for pleasant thoughts and had led the Albus Dumbledore Retirement Committee to consider ways to subtly help. Of course, Minerva, being Minerva, had decided that since it was the safety and security of three, young female students that was on the line, she would do whatever needed to be done. Subtle be damned. The older woman swept her unamsed gaze over the still smirking quartet of strange friends and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"How may I assist you ... _ladies_ this evening?"

"Well ... ummmm ..."

A suddenly bashful Susan paused, wondering what would be the best way to approach this. It was all very well pushing for a meeting to ask for help but now that she was actually here she was thinking that Maconnagal might not be very impressed that they were intending to set up a home outside the House system. Especially since two of the witches here were her Gryffindors. Oh dear this might all go spectacularly, badly wrong. She heard a soft hissing next to her and scowled. Cassie was undoubtably discussing her hesitation with Shortcake, which she knew meant that they were laughing at her.

 _"Why do you think she's stopped talking Shortie?"_

 _"She's probably just remembered that old beaky nose is your Head of House. You should comfort her."_

 _"What like cuddle her?"_

 _"No you mo ... I mean mistress. Hold her hand. Your red headed strumpet seems to like that."_

They sniggered together and Cassie reached for Susan's hand.

As soon as she felt their fingers interlace and the soft squeeze, Susan felt all the tension leave her body and she let out the breath that she had been, unconsciously, holding. She glanced across and captured those sweet, twinkling, emerald eyes and felt her confidence return. This was for her. It was all for her.

"We need help with our accomodation professor and, after some ... _discussion_ ... I decided that you were the best person to ask."

The semi ruined tower was in need of a great deal of work to make it habitable. Filius and Minerva had set to the task of conjuring, transfiguring and charming the necessary bed and bathroom facilities immediately, which left only repairing the lower walls and the cleaning availlable to Snape. Deciding that he wasn't going to be left to do this all on his own he decided to press gang some unwilling helpers.

"Right you four since this is for your benefit you can grab your wands and lend a hand. The spell is; _effervesio_. You can start with the stairs. Well. What are you all waiting for? Get on with it."

Some two and a half long hours later, three professors, four unbelievably dirty witches and one very grumpy python surveyed their handiwork with satisfaction and pride. Downstairs was a comfortable study area complete with bookshelves, desks and, upon Severus' insistance, an extensive and well stocked potions station. Above that, up the now gleaming stairs, the large circlular room had been divided into four roughly equal segments. There was a hallway entrance lounge which the outer door led to, covered in rugs and sofas facing a large fireplace, two comfortable twin bedrooms and an enormous bathroom containing toilets, showers and a huge sunken bath. The entire group witnessed Susan turning bright red and start twitching and squirming as she imagined future naked, soapy bath times with her and Cassie. The girls gushed their thanks and waved goodbye to their professors before they ran, screaming excitedly for the showers.

For the first time since she had started at Hogwarts the class for Defence Against the Dark Arts actually had something meaningful to teach Cassie Evans and had become close in the running, with charms, for her second favourite. It helped, of course, that MacGonnagal had rearranged their schedules so that she now shared all of her classes with Susie, as Ginny did with Luna. They were like the fifth House of Hogwarts. Psycho Freak House she had named them and Ginny and Luna had loved it. Susan wasn't quite so convinced but had still allowed Cassie to embroider a large, silver and red PF emblem on all of their black outer robes. Really the stuff she got away with because of Susie's massive girl crush on her was just amazing. Cassie might have to give the former Huflepuff a little more sugar soon just to keep the wheels greased. Not that she minded. She did kind of have a thing for the red head and the girl definitely knew how to kiss. That impromtu make out session in the infirmary last year had been intense and amazing, well before her brain had exploded anyway, and she really wanted to try that while in full control of all of her faculties. Yep. Susan Bones was all kinds of hot.

Professor Lupin's slightly annoyed clearing of his throat alerted her to his presence in front of her desk. Crap. She had just been caught daydreaming in one of her favourite lessons. Cassie offered him her best chagrined, apologetic Lily half smile and then smirked at Susie after his eyes shone with wetness and he retreated back to the front of the classroom dragging his sleeve across his face. Susan shook her head, rolled her eyes and mouthed the words; Drama queen, swiftly follwed by the more habitual insult of; Dork.

"Okay everyone line up."

When he saw her not moving and caught her confused looking face Lupin sighed heavily.

"Those of you who were paying attention might have heard me say that you're going to be facing a boggart for the practical portion of your lesson today."

Cassie shrugged, smiled brightly at him and joined the end of the line.

It turned out that boggarts were actually very easy to defeat once you realised that was what they were and what it was that they were trying to do. However, making an entire class full of school children face their innermost, worst fears in front of their peers didn't seem to be a particularly good idea to Cassie. It just seemed like an extremely good way to provide fodder for the countless bullies here at the school. Having been on the receiving end of some of that bullying in the past she decided that she was going to bring this lesson to a swift and premature end. She tapped the shoulder of the boy in front of her who finched, swallowed loudly and quickly allowed her to take his place. The action was repeated twelve more times with similar results and she found herself at the head of the line watching a softly crying, but determined, Hermione Granger despatch a sword wielding, blood soaked version of herself with the _ridikulus_ charm.

Nobody laughed. Even when her boggart self was suddenly wearing a bright pink (and very short and revealing) fairy costume and the mighty sword had turned into a large bunch of flowers. The Cassie boggart shrieked and dived for it's closet. Still nobody laughed. They cringed and moved closer together away from her, obviously fearing her temper, but they absolutely, definitely did not laugh. Not at Hermione. Not at the boggart. And pointedly not at her.

Cassie just sighed at their cowardice and moved up to take her turn. Reaching the front of the classroom she smiled and waved cheerfully at a confused looking Hermione and stood in the appointed spot facing the closet. She nodded her assent for the proceedings to start to professor Lupin and slipped her knife up into her sleeve at the ready.

The closet opened and Cassie's worst nightmare stepped out to face her.

Students and teacher alike gasped as the a tall, beautiful, startlingly familiar young woman moved to stand in front of Cassie. The two black haired, green eyed witches faced off. One with shoulder length hair tipped in red and wearing a Hogwarts uniform, the other with longer, sleeker, blacker hair and clad only in light, ebony armour and blood, the heads of Luna, Ginny and Susan clasped grimly in her off hand. Their faces were identical.

Standing rooted to the spot in horror, a wave of remorse and regret washed over Hermione as she finally understood. This was Cassie's greatest fear. That the killer would take her over entirely and that she would fall to it's dark allure. Although it made sense, in a way, that the only thing Cassandra Evans would be afraid of ... was herself. Of what she could become. There wasn't much time for the bushy haired Gryffindor to get lost in introspection, however, as the younger version of the two Cassies flicked her hand out and the real lesson began.

The dagger morphed as it moved and whirled about her body. At the moment that it skimmed across the flag stone floor in it's upward arc to it's target between the junction of the boggart her's legs it had become a gleaming black and silver scythe. Cassie had decided to go the full Ruby Rose on this abomination and keeping a loose hold on the handle of her cool new weapon executed a perfect, cartwheeling vault over it's head. The action caused the scythe to sit up perpendicular to the floor and it took only a brisk forward tug of her arm to bring it flashing down in front of her, the blunt side of the blade crashing through the boggart's closet, destroying it utterly.

There were two almost simultaneous wet plops from behind her.

Cassie turned and daintilly picked her way between the two halves of the boggarts body wiping the blood from her blade and returning it to it's natural form before sitting back down at her desk and folding her hands demurely in her lap. She frowned a little and reached for her notepad as the others in the room attempted to pick their jaws up from off of the floor. Tapping her pen thoughtfully on her cheek for a moment she paused, then wrote a brief message in large letters before showing it to the professor with a contrite smile.

 **Sorry about the mess.**

The nervous tension in the room was released. Now they laughed.

For the first time in many, long years Albus Dumbledore was unsure about his next course of action. At every turn the blasted Evans girl seemed to effortlessly evade his plans to make the appear like the next Dark Lady in training. She could be hated and reviled one moment and then in the blink of an eye turn the whole situation around with a single act of completely selfless and heroic, if unnecessarily violent, behaviour. She had even managed to acquire a loyal little band of friends who, despite his best efforts with the dementor attack he had organised on the train, still continued to stick by her. The fact that one of these friends was the Bones heiress and another was from the family of his most hardened and loyal, if not terribly bright, supporters was pretty troubling as well. This horrid little half blood hussy was outmanouvering _him_. The great Albus Dumbledore. He would _not_ stand for it.

He had obviously upset Fawkes with his anger, as the phoenix was plucking out his own feathers in a display of frustration, but damn it that disgusting brat always got him so riled up when she messed up his machinations like this. With difficulty the Headmaster managed to calm himself and started to think with more of his usual clarity. This year was quite simply dismissed as a write off in terms of blackening the character of Cassandra Evans, even though Sirius may provide some entertainment if he actually succeeded in capturing the rat, Pettigrew. No it would be altogether better to wait and perhaps manufacture an opportunity to drop the girl back into the soup with his planned resurrection of the Tri-Wizard Tounament next year. A half blood dyke competing in a treasured, ancient competition like that? Oh yes that would certainly do it.

Dumbledore sat back in his throne like chair behind his desk and gave his first real smile since the beginning of term. He summoned parchment and quill towards him and, furiously scribbling a note to the International Convention of Wizards requesting a meeting, began to draw up an exciting and dastardly new plan.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	13. Chapter 13

**There has been some question as to when the romance will start in this story and I thought that I'd address that now. There will continue to be a slow build, just hints, flirting and blushes and even the occasional bit of kissing but it's not really going to kick off until fourth year. Sorry for making you all wait so long but ... oh no wait, I'm not sorry. That was always the plan and you'll just have to like it. Nyaaaah.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **13\. Bark at the Moon**

They all looked so sweet and innocent Snape thought. Sitting in a row, ankles crossed, hands neatly folded in uniformed laps with identical 'butter wouldn't melt' expressions on their lightly smiling faces. All three of the professors gathered in the potions lab knew exactly what devious depths these four witches were capable of descending to, however. Weasley, Lovegood, Bones and Evans, or as Snape liked to call her, the devil in an a cup. Quite how she had discovered that the Headmaster had been dosing the school's population with loyalty potions they didn't know (or particularly want to know, truth be told), but discover it she had and had brought her findings to their little group's attention. Now faced with this disturbing knowledge they were attempting to come up with a solution to nullify the effects of said manipulation by the old man as well as his propensity to obliviate those who didn't comply with his demands.

Minerva and Filius had been shocked and sickened by the revelation but Severus had simply appeared resigned that it was merely Dumbledore's usual behaviour when faced with a situation that wasn't going the way that he wanted it to. That man had some serious control issues.

"We won't just be able to slip a simple purging potion into the food at source. He has the elves completely in his pocket. We might be able to protect ourselves but the rest of the students, I'm afraid, will just have to cope with it on their own."

A violent gesture from Evans at his words was met with muffled laughter from the younger girls and a shocked, red faced response by the red head emphasised by her grabbing the angry, green eyed witch's still moving hands.

"Cassandra Marguerite Evans. You cannot use that kind of language in front of a teacher."

The said teachers looked a little bemused at the display before Susan gave an explanation.

"My deepest apologies professors she's still a bit angry about last year ... and the year before to be fair." She turned again to the other girl. "It's still not an excuse for using _that_ word Cassandra."

Severus snorted and almost laughed himself as he watched Cassie tilt her head to one side and give Susan the big, tearful, apologetic puppy eyes resulting in her immediate capitulation to the infuriatingly cute girl. It amused him beyond measure how completely and utterly she had Miss Bones wrapped right around her little finger. That girl would literally do anything for Cassie. But then, he admitted to himself, everyone else in this room was probably starting to have the same problem. Their meeting broke up shortly after with all parties promising to look for a solution, other than starving themselves or living on take-outs from Hogsmeade, to the dosing issue.

Out in the dark night a shaggy black dog bolted from the cover of the bushes and skidded to a stop just inside the entrance of a well concealed cave entrance a mile outside of Hogsmeade village. Shivering with the cold, the on the run animagus curled up into a ball in the corner of his dank new home and dragged the beef joint he had stolen from The Hog's Head kitchen three days previously towards him. It was mostly bone now with only a few shreds of meat left on it and Sirius knew that he would have to risk capture again tommorrow in order to eat. Shifting form he sat up, pulled his tattered cloak tight around him and retrieved the much read newspaper from it's folds. He stared with hatred at the picture of the fat little rat being held by the stupid looking ginger boy with the mean smile and plotted his revenge.

The two second years were chatting and admiring their pretty new anti mind control necklaces that professor MacGonnagal had handed out to them this morning after class. It was a bit of a shame that they were all so similar looking but at least they seemed to be working. All of them had attended dinner at the Ravenclaw table with no ill effects whatsoever tonight and they knew that it was due their spangly, if a tad gaudy, new jewellry that they and their professors were sporting. But with Flitwick, MacGonnagal and Snape all collaborating on them this was not exactly a surprise to the girls. Having talented friends among the staff was certainly very convenient at the moment.

Sitting at a table in the Pshyco Freak tower and waiting for Cassie to return from one of her detentions had become a little ritual for the three girls that they looked forward to at least twice a week. Seriously that girl could get in trouble sitting locked in a room with no furniture on her own. Susan was deep into her potions homework and it the took the red head rather a long time to realise that Ginny and Luna were now staring expectantly at her. She had been waiting for the teasing and questioning to start all day and was only surprised that it had taken them this long. Sighing dramatically she put her knife and asphodel root aside, bowing to the inevitable.

"What?"

"Soooo. Hogsmeade huh."

"Hogsmeade?"

"Don't play coy with us _Cuddles_. You're going to Hogsmeade with Cassie."

"Yes. We are going to Hogsmeade together." Susan confirmed.

"Like a date?"

"There will be ... date like activities involved. Like walking, drinks, food and entertainment."

"And snogging?"

"I am _so_ not discussing this with you two."

Cassie chose that particular moment to appear and thumped down sitting cross legged on the floor between them, showing rather more of her cute flowery underwear than was good for Susan's heart rate or complexion.

 **Discussing what with who two?**

"Nothing." The girls sing songed angelically and in unison before giggling.

 **Yeah that's not even slightly suspicious.**

Cassie regarded her friends with a raised eyebrow and considered their respective expressions. Luna was smiling in her usual spacey manner and seemed genuinely interested in the topic, Ginny was grinning with excitement and sporting an almost lecherous look and Susan was blushing with embarrassment and ... something else. Oh they must be discussing her and Susie's forthcoming date on Saturday. Well that was a bit too easy to figure out. She wondered if she would be able to make it even more uncomfortable for them. Un-noticed by the others she surrupticiously pulled down her jumper and undid a couple more buttons on her blouse.

 **Well I'm going to have a bath and get to bed. Are you coming now Susie, or do you want to come later?**

Cassie stood and stretched, closer to Susan than was strictly necessary, and then bent over to retrieve her bag from the floor giving the other girl a spectacular view of her growing assets. She hid her smile at the red heads strangled squeak and skipped off up the stairs congratulating herself on a job well done. Perfect.

In the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom the next day Remus Lupin was blinking rapidly and considering pulling out what remained of his thinning hair at the the total chaos that was currently in progress. He stared hard at the smirking girl who, he was almost certain, had caused this situation as a pixie flew close past his face whacking him across the nose with her boot for good measure. James and Lily would have been so proud of their little spitfire. It would have been rather funny if it wasn't his lesson that was being interrupted in this manner. He frowned as he ruminated on the fact that she never caused this kind of trouble in Charms or Transfiguration. Even Potions with Snape was immune, or so he had heard. Those three and those three alone seemed to have gained her trust and respect. Filius and Minerva he could understand, but Snape? Bloody Snape of all people. Remus had questioned his behaviour towards the greasy git many times over the years and as much as he understood that he was masking his guilt for almost killing the man with his anger at him, he just couldn't seem to get past it. He, his friends and his inner wolf may be the guilty parties in all of this but it didn't make Snape any less of a git.

He signalled his thanks as Miss Granger helped him to recapture the errant pixies and bring a touch of sanity to proceedings and then chuckled under his breath when he caught Cassie and her friend Miss Bones pouting at the premature ending of their mayhem. Try as he might Remus just couldn't stay angry at her. The girl was an almost perfect blend of both of her parents. Fiery and temperemental to be sure, with a penchant for trouble making and chaos, but with a generosity of spirit that almost took his breath away. Just like Lily, she also appeared to be more than capable of dragging her friends along into her mad schemes. For the life of him he could not understand why Albus was so terrified of her going to the dark. To his mind she was an simply a lively, if slightly scary, intelligent young woman who loved life and took the utmost care of her friends. They should all be a little more like that, he thought.

Susan Bones was having a lovely day.

The date that wasn't a date was going even better than she had hoped and both her and Cassie had enjoyed themselves immensely. They had giggled with glee in Zonko's, sampled the goods in wonder in Honeyduke's, danced in delight in Dominic Maestro's and then they had hit Gladrags. Cassie had wanted to do 'a bit of clothes shopping' and Susan had been more than happy to accomodate the other girl in this endeavour. It wasn't until they were inside that she had realised her mistake. Her crush had headed directly to the underwear section and started pulling out some of the laciest, most beautiful and skimpiest under things that Susan had ever seen. This wasn't underwear. This was _lingerie_. The ever threatening blushes immediately burst out on her face. When Cassie had taken her by the hand, led her to the changing rooms and nonchalantly started to disrobe in front of her, they became positively dangerous with all the blood that was being diverted to her cheeks. Susan tried very hard to keep her eyes on one or other of Cassie's exquisite tattoos and off of areas that would cause her to pass out as she was called upon to pass judgement, one by one, on the green eyed goddess' chosen attire.

Thankfully the 'bit of clothes shopping' had ended, without Susan embarrassing herself further and the two girls had retired to The Three Broomsticks for some lunch and a butterbeer or two. As with everywhere else they had visited today, it was surprisingly quiet with only a few brave, stupid or inquisitive souls prepared to be in the same area as the freaks. Lunch was delivered to their table by a distinctly nervous Madame Rosmerta and passed in fun conversation and light flirting between them. They had paid the bill and exited only to be almost knocked flying by the skinny, black dog that they had been catching glimpses of all day, as it charged through the street with a rope of sausages hanging from either side of it's mouth. Cassie had stopped the pursuit of the scraggy beast by paying the butcher who had been chasing him for the stolen links before disappearing back into the pub.

It seemed that the troublesome dog was curious enough to overcome it's natural shyness and obvious caution and it rubbed it's head on the red headed girl's leg while giving her a thorough inspection. Susan sat on one of the outside tables and idly scratched the dog's ears while they waited together, both pairs of eyes glued to the pub door where the other girl had disappeared. He tolerated this attention with stoicism and only one or two huffs of exasperation or pleasure. Soon Cassie re-emerged into the Autumn afternoon clutching a large sack, which she promptly handed off to Susan. She gripped his head in her hands, gazed deeply into his eyes, nodded once, then tackled the surprised dog, cuffed him lightly on the side of the head and took off at a run.

Sirius sat stunned at his God-daughter's actions for a moment or two before his animal side took control. The nice, young, human female, who had helped him evade capture and a probable beating for his theft, wanted to play chase. This was not a hardship for him. He loved to play chase. With a big dopey grin on his chops the black haired dog exploded into a gallop after the black haired girl. The chase was on.

Forty fun filled minutes later two giggling girls and their exhausted canine companion were laying on the grass outside a half hidden cave and panting to recover their breath. Casie took the sack back from her friend and beckoned the dog over. She opened it carefully and looked inside. Then back at him. Then back into the bag. He was positively drooling at the wonderful aroma emanating from the now open sack. She glanced sideways at the dog and raised an eyebrow. The girl huffed, shook her head and made a series of weird signs with her hands. Unable to resist the temption any longer, he made a grab for the bag while she was seemingly distracted and received a bop on the nose from her wand. The business end of which was now pointed right between his eyes.

"She wants you transform so that we can have a talk Mister Black. Then you can have the food."

His jaw dropped like Wyle E Coyote watching the roadrunner escaping from one of his ridiculously over engineered traps again. He could have kicked himself for getting caught up in having fun and for being so stupid and so sloppy. The brilliant and badass Sirius Black had just been brought down by a pair of giggling, third year school girls. Idiot. The other inmates of Azkaban were going to have a field day with this one. He was brought back to the present as Cassie tapped him on the nose once more and nodded in stern encouragement. The girl was not going to take no for an answer it seemed.

Sirius Black, the dangerous, escaped prisoner of Azkaban, hung his head in shame and shifted to face his teenaged captors.

For the third time in two weeks the members of the Albus Dumbledore Retirement Committee met with their young charges in the sitting room of Psycho Freak Tower. Unknown to them there had been much discussion among the girls as to whether or not they should bring their teachers in on the 'prisoner' plan. In the end it had been a combination of their considerable expertise, shown by the quick and effective construction of the necklaces, and Snape's unwavering, if sneaky and underground, support of Cassie that had decided them. Still it had to handled carefully as the potions master's lingering dislike of the former Gryffindor Prince was bound to be a thorny issue.

"Let me get this straight. Peter Pettigrew is still alive and living as Miss Weasley's brother's pet rat and, furthermore, it was he that killed all of those muggles, not Sirius Black."

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yes."

 **Yes.**

"I see." Minerva gave them a questioning look. "Can you prove it?"

"If we catch the rat then yes."

Severus Snape swallowed a bitter grimace at the thought of helping the man who had been such a large and unpleasant part of his own school days. Quite honestly he would much prefer to drag the hateful, bullying bastard back to Azkaban by the balls and see him suffer there for the rest of his miserable and hopefully, very short, life. Resentment and anger at Potter, Black and Lupin were not new emotions for him but they needed to be curtailed and smothered for now. This was for Cassie. The girl had been through enough crap in her short, unhappy life. He knew that he would never be allowed to take her in himself. It wouldn't be safe anyway. For either of them. But a newly freed and exonerated Lord Black could claim his God-daughter and give her at least some of the life that she deserved to have after all of the hardships that she had suffered. It might be hard for him to watch but it really would be the best thing for the girl. With a gut wrenching, vomit inducing nod of affirmation he waded in to the debate.

"Then we need a plan. Do either of you have any allies left in the lions den or have you both burned all of those bridges."

Ginny and Cassie looked at each other and smirked.

"We might have a couple."

"You don't mean." Minerva suddenly looked a bit sick herself. "You do don't you. Oh Merlin help us. Not the twins."

"They were so helpful though professor. I'm sure they wouldn't mind lending a hand again." Luna beamed at them and picked up Shortcake from Snape's lap where the python was attempting to find that fascinating, feathery lure that the man sometimes carried around.

Even Flitwick had his head in his hands at this point.

"I can't believe we're really going to rely on the Weasley twins to get this done. Subtle isn't exactly their thing."

"Well it's that or let Evans here storm the tower with that bloody great scythe of hers."

 **Oooh. Let's do that.**

"No!"

 **Spoil sports.**

It was very late by the time the strategy session was done and a workable plan was hammered out between them. Now all they had to do was set it into motion.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	14. Chapter 14

**This chapter was an absolute beast to write. Sorry it took so long but it had me truly stumped for ages. I understand now why so many authors struggle with this year's events and just gloss over it. I'm kind of regretting not doing that myself. Still it's done now and the story should start to flow a bit more easily.**

 **I'm stil not happy with it but I've re-written the bloody thing twice already and I'll be damned if I'm doing it again. Let's just accept that this isn't my finest hour as a writer and move the hell on.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **14\. Rat in the Kitchen.**

For the first time since he had become an animagus, Peter Pettigrew was regretting being so well versed in both magical creatures and muggle zoology. In the past it had been a useful tool to avoid being caught and possibly consumed by the vast array of animals that would just love to enjoy a rodent based snack between meals, but now the knowledge was doing him no good at all. Now it was just making him very nervous and very afraid. Coiled on top of the cramped cage that was his new living quarters was a six and a half foot short tailed borneo python, a creature that fed, primarilly, on small furry animals like him. He cowered in a corner of his sparse prison and shivered with fear and frustration wondering once more just how he had gotten himself caught.

Peter, or Scabbers to the Weasley family, had always been more than a touch wary of the twins, choosing to secrete himsef away from their horrid misdeeds first in Percy's and then, later on, Ron's warm and tender embrace. Considering that his current change in address was due almost entirely to the pair of identical, carrot topped mischief makers it had obviously been extremely sound reasoning on his part.

His road to incarceration had begun innocently enough. Another prank in the tower by the irrepressible Weasley twins. Bright colours, loud noises, screaming, partially transfigured students and general chaos, but this had turned out to be merely a distraction leading to locked doors, a stunning spell on poor old Ron and a summoning spell and a cage for him. He knew Fred and George's antics of old and was nervous, certainly, but not afraid. Not until right up to the moment that they had delivered him to _her_. The teenaged terror of Hogwarts School. The Freak in Chief. Cassandra Evans. He shuddered again as the python coiled and uncoiled and eyed him with a hungry look.

The sound of a door slamming open startled him and he shifted his frightened gaze from his scaly jailor in that direction, only to be met with the cold stare of Cassandra Evans. Beautiful Lily's sweet little daughter who he had once bounced upon his knee and who had gummed at his finger when she was a baby. She had been such a bubbly, excitable and happy little girl then, always laughing either at Padfoot and Prongs' antics or just at life in general. He wondered what had happened to the child in her earlier years to turn her into the scowling monster that had stalked this school for the past two and a half years. Nothing good he was sure.

Peter's feelings for the girl were complicated. He supposed that it was the years of guilt gnawing away at him. He had sacrificed his friends, his only friends, in an ultimately fruitless attempt to be on what he believed to be the winning side of The Dark Lord's great blood war. In the end he had survived but only at the cost of being forever haunted by his own miserable, cowardly actions that night. As well as having to live his life as a pet rat to a family of well meaning but insane red headed paupers, of course. It was his penance. This was far less than Peter Pettigrew deserved and he knew it.

He had watched closely from Ron's pocket as they had entered Cassie's carriage on the Hogwart's express and had been as surprised as anyone by the fact that she couldn't speak. Well, not to other people anyway. Snakes, however, was an entirely different matter. Later on he had raged in impotent fury as the poor little thing was ostracised and relentlessly bullied, first for her parseltongue abilities (which scared him as well, truth be told) and then for her bloody slaughter of that troll. The friendless girl reminded him of the, similarly, friendless boy that he had once been and what remained of his heart had been broken all over again at her treatment. Then had come her utter destruction and humiliation of the three Slytherin upper classmen and the watchful rat animagus had started to wonder what this girl was really capable of. A question that was swiftly answered as he overheard the elves talking about the outcome her bloody fight with Quirrel. And Voldemort. He had known it was the spirit of his former master. How could he not? The evil around that man was almost tangible. He could taste it in the very air.

It was at this point that he had started to suspect that the Headmaster was up to something. If Peter could sense The Dark Lord then there was no way that the all mighty Albus Dumbledore, leader of the light and the greatest living wizard, could not. And yet the old man had simply ignored it. Probably mired in his own plans and machinations. He was playing a very dangerous game. A game that could get a lot of people killed. Peter was aware that his own fate was pretty much sealed, his actions that night twelve years ago had done that, and he would accept his punishment without tears or anger. He deserved it. Others did not. The next rise of Voldemort was going to end in blood and death for a great many innocents. He just hoped that Cassie was not among them, but knowing the scheming old man as he did, she probably would be. Unless the bravery and skill she had shown in her second year could be turned against both The Dark Lord and Dumbledore.

The brutal anihilation of the Malfoy boy in the duelling class had been a highlight of Peter's time at the school. He could only imagine how that went down at Malfoy manor when Lucius heard that his pure bred son had been, not simply bested, but postively pummelled by the vastly superior magic of the half blood daughter of a mudblood. He would have loved to have been there to have seen it. The memory would have been sure to fuel a spectacular patronus, he was sure. Lucius Malfoy was an over confident, entitled, arrogant, peacocking ponce and in his son it appeared that the apple had not fallen very far from the tree. The boy's use of the serpensortia spell on a known parselmouth was hilarious. It was almost as hilarious as the idea that spread among the students that Cassandra Evans, a half blood, could be the heir of Slytherin. He had forgotten quite how dumb most teenagers were.

Hermione Granger had not believed it though. She was a bit of an enigma that one. Peter harboured a large and surprising soft spot for the bushy haired young witch. He had liked the girl from the start for befriending Cassie and he did not blame her for her separation from her after the troll affair. If anyone knew the bad decisions that could arise from peer pressure and the overwhelming need to fit in with others to be accepted, it was him. He had watched from Ron's pocket as the Granger girl had outwardly shunned Cassie while quietly and sublty helping to quell the worst of the rumours concerning her former friend. For two years he had watched her help, while not appearing to help, and wondered how on earth she had ended up in Gryffindor and not Slytherin. It was a shame she was a mudblood. Yes, he liked her a lot and would have begged Voldemort to let him keep her as a pet had things worked out in The Dark Lord's favour. He knew that he would have ended up back in that camp. It was his nature and he accepted it. But now it looked like he wasn't going to get that chance.

He looked at the black haired and infinitely scarier version of young Lily, who had slain a sixty foot basilisk at the tender age of twelve, and considered what she would do with him. She might give him to the DMLE but that didnt seem likely as she didn't appear to be overly fond of the authorities in whatever guise they took, or confident of their abilty to conduct a reasonably efficient investigation. She had herself, after all, gotten away with killing two of her professors wthout so much as a reprimand. No it was entirely more likely that she was going to exact a little vengance herself, and thinking about her last two years here and the escalation in violence that had occured (he still had nightmares over what she had done to that bloody boggart) he knew that it wasn't going to be pleasant for him. She had her mother's temper and her father's quickness to resort to violence. That combined with her seemingly endless fascination with sharp pointy things and her very _special_ relationship with death and Peter's future looked very bloody. And very painful. And very short. She approached the cage and had a hissed conversation with her familiar and Peter's outlook brightened for a brief moment at the thought that she might just feed him to the snake. Then it darkened again. It was deeply depressing when being eaten by a python was the better option.

Sirius Black's long wait for justice was nearly at an end. For twelve long years he had rotted away in Azkaban prison for a crime that he had not committed. Angry did not even begin to describe how he felt about that. Angy at Peter for betraying his friends to their death (and himself of course). Angry at Voldemort for starting the war in the first place. But most of all angry at Dumbledore. He must have known that Wormtail was hiding with the Weasleys, they were his staunchest supporters and the old man had known alll of the four Marauders' animagus forms from their school days. It was impossible that he hadn't recognised Peter Pettigrew from the first time young Percy had taken him through Hogwarts gates. Albus Dumbledore had the power to have him released at any time in the last decade and yet he had not done so. The manipulative old bastard had just made it to number one on Sirius' personal shit list.

The only bright spots on his horizon were the thought that at least Pettigrew would get what was coming to him now, hopefully the veil, and the fact that once freed he would be able to see his god-daughter on a more regular basis. Not that she hadn't been a frequent visitor over the past couple of months, keeping him in food and blankets and generally hanging out with the attention starved man. It was nice that he could now make out some of what she was 'saying' with her hands and hold a semi decent conversation with her, thanks to Susan's loan of her precious 'How to Sign' book. It had taken him a while but he had finally started to understand the language and, as was always the way with these things, the more he actually used it in conversation the easier it became.

He smiled fondly as he remembered Susan's first visit where she had given him the book. She had turned up alone, explaining resignedly that Cassie was in yet _another_ detention and not allowed to attend Hogsmeade that day before reluctantly handing over the small, educational tome. The girl had not let it go fully before she had explained to him, in no uncertain terms, that this was _her_ copy and that if he lost, damaged or even breathed on it wrong, his time in Azkaban would feel like a pleasant holiday compared to what she would do to him. At this point she had reminded him so much of her formidable Aunt Amelia, a long time crush of his, that he had started to get all watery eyed as he solemnly promised to take the utmost care of her treasured gift. When he read the inscription on the fly leaf he understood exactly how hard it had been for her to let it go. Susan Bones couldn't hide her love for Cassie any more than he had been able to for her Aunt. He sympathised fully and besides it was awfully cute. That didn't stop him teasing both of the girls mercilessly about it though, as his strength and his sense of fun had started to return. Not even slightly.

Now, however, the Yule holiday was here and the second part of the plan to see him permanently free was about to begin. It had been a shock to Sirius to learn that the greasy git himself, Severus Snape, had been an instrumental part of the planning to, not only keep him out of clutches of the dementors, but also see him restored to his lordship and even given Cassie's guardianship. He was sure that Snape hadn't done it for him, their old rivalries and enmities ran too deep for that. He had obviously done it for Cassie and possibly for the memory of Lily, the girl that they had all loved. Snape, himself, James, Remus and even Peter had adored the bright, energetic and wild young muggle born red head. They had all tried to win her and they had all cried bitter tears when she eventually chose James. Sirius had loved the Potter heir like a brother but he always knew that he wouldn't do right by Lily. She had died miserable and alone, the forgotten mistress of a married, high society lordling. He wiped away his salty tears and promised himself that her daughter, at least, would know what a loving family was. He just needed to keep his temper in check and wait for a few more days and then he would be able to take Cassie home to ... where exactly? Grimmuald Place? It wasn't exactly a warm and welcoming house. Sirius gritted his teeth in determination. It may not be warm and welcoming now but he would just have to work to make it so. He thought to himself that he was going to have to work very hard.

A black haired girl in a bright red hooded cape, frilly black dress and over large boots sported a feral grin as she flashed the frighteningly big scythe around herself, performing practice slashes and strikes with the vicious looking weapon. Amelia Bones shuddered as she observed through the large picture window as the girl sliced one snowman vertically in half before spinning with a surprising amount of agility and decapitating two more. She watched as her audience of two House elves, her niece and the python wrapped around Susan's shoulders applauded enthusiastically. The girl in the cape bowed low and stowed her weapon, which now resembled a largish dagger, back into it's belt sheath. She rose from her bow holding two snowballs and there proceeded to be a loud and furious chase around the front lawn that resulted in two very pink faced and rather wet young witches being shooed indoors by a scowling, matriarchal older elf called Shelley. Amelia half sighed, half chuckled at the sight and rose to intercept them and hopefully save them from Shelley's wrath.

Christmas at Bones Manor hadn't been this much fun in years and she was well aware that it was all because of the presence of the sometimes sweet, sometimes maudlin but always silent girl with the black hair. Well mostly black. Who on Merlin's green earth put red highlights in their hair? That hadn't shocked her nearly as much as the tattoos though. Amelia briefly wondered how she had managed to persuade someone to give her magical tattoos before remembering that she had spent the summer with the Lovegoods. Xenophilius always was a pushover when it came to his daughter asking him for anything and she imagined that Luna having another friend around would have had the silly man so enraptured that he would have agreed to pretty much anything. It could have been worse. At least Susan hadn't followed suit and got one. Her insistance on checking the girl personally had embarrassed them both but it had needed to be done. Just to be sure. Amelia had hoped that her niece's crush would have burned itself out by now but it appeared that this was not the case. Susan was most definitely in full blown love with Cassie now and it seemed from her observation of their interactions over the past few days that the other girl was more than a little interested as well. She knew that she was in for a rough few years with these two lovestruck lunatics.

She was distracted from her thoughts by an official looking ministry owl crashing down in front of her and preening importantly while holding out it's leg. The message was thankfully brief but intriguing all the same.

 **Come now. Fudge.**

Amelia Bones rolled her eyes and wondered what could be so important that it needed her attention on Christmas day. Someone had probably stolen the Minister's favourite quill again. She headed for the fireplace and grabbed some Floo powder from the urn on the mantlepiece.

"I've got to go into the office for a bit girls. Try not to burn the place down while I'm gone."

She heard muffled giggling and an 'Okay' from Susan as she stepped into the green flames shaking her head.

From his high chair above the proceedings Albus Dumbledore searched the faces of The Wizangamot members assembled before him with his habitual twinkling smile. Inside he was not smiling. Not even a little bit. The trial of Peter Pettigrew was not as private as the Minister Fudge of the Chief Warlock had hoped. There were reporters in the gallery. Someone had tipped them off. He scanned the faces again looking for the slightest hint of disloyalty from those he considered friends as well as those he didn't. Malfoy and his Death Eater cronies obviously wouldn't want Black exonerated so they were out. Augusta Longbottom? No she hated the Blacks almost as much as she hated the press. The Weasleys? No, they couldn't be that stupid. He stopped short. Yes, actually they could. For a big payout from the Daily Prophet to ease their financial burdens they definitely could. It was the twins that had discovered him after all. A nice fat cheque from the paper waving under their greedy little snouts and they would have been given it up like a peg legged tavern wench on a wet Wednesday night. Damn it. Oh well, nothing to do now but get on with this bloody farce.

Seven and a half hours later the Headmaster sat ashen faced at his desk staring into the fire. He helped himself to a large dram of firewhiskey from the decanter and sighed heavily. Today had not gone particularly well for him or his plans. He sipped his drink and scowled thinking of the day's events.

Pettigrew was in Azkaban, Black was free, the dementors were gone and then he'd had sit through a meeting with that enormous idiot Cornelius Fudge, whining on about how the Ministry was going to be ruined if the newly restored Lord Sirius Black decided to sue for recompense. It had taken nearly two hours to calm the stupid man down, in which time the peviously mentioned Lord Black had requested and been granted the guardianship of his god-daughter in their absence. That bloody fool Fudge had cost him the control of the thrice damned Evans girl. Now she had a family, and not just any family. The financial and political power of the oldest pure blood family in the country would be available to her now and Merlin only knew what that damned troublemaking, half blood bitch would do with it. She would wrap Sirius around her little finger just as she had with the youngest Weasley and Bones and Lovegood and Flitwick. Even the great sourpuss herself, Minerva bloody MacGonnagal was not immune to the girl's dubious charms. He flung his glass violently into the fire and shouted.

"Damn her."

The newly awakened and startled phoenix, Fawkes gave the old man a sharp peck on his balding head for waking him up with his stupid plans before returning to his perch and pretending to sleep again. If a bird could be said to be smiling. Fawkes was.

Albus Dumbledore wiped away the blood and attempted to calm himself once more. He breathed slowly in and out and rested his chin on steepled fingers. Think Albus, he told himself. Her position won't help her next year. The deal for the Tri-Wizard Tournament is all signed and sealed, your plans are in place and nothing can stop them now. Tom will return and eventually he will want to regain his power. He will come on in the same old style, and I will beat him again in the same old style. The girl will die (he would bloody well make sure of that) and I will be the greatest wizard in history, people will speak the names of Merlin and Dumbledore in the same awed breath. Senility, pride and delusion were terrible afflictions for an old man and Albus Dumbledore had all three. Fawkes shook his head sadly.

The rest of the school year seemed to pass in a blur for the girls of the Psycho Freak House as they went about the business of studying and practicing their magic, sitting exams and, in Cassie's case, doing multiple detentions. For the first time in her educational career Cassandra Evans had a final term where she wasn't required to rescue anyone or kill one of her teachers. It was a nice change of pace for her and she was happy and mostly at peace with the world. There was the occasional run in with older students who had clearly forgotten that she was capable of awe inspiring levels of physical violence when she or her friends were threatened or bullied, but they were few and far between. Her budding relationship with Susan was going along very nicely, neither of them putting a label on it. Their flirting had reached new levels of innuendo and it made Luna giggle constantly, while Ginny was reduced to shouting at them to 'Stop pissing about and just get the bloody hell on with it'. The older girls had declined her generous offer and hapilly continued on at their own pace.

They visited Hogsmeade together every time Cassie didn't have a detention and found themselves more often than not sitting outside the cave that had been Sirius' temporary home, just relaxing and enjoying the afternoon sun. It was on such a day on the last visit before the Summer holidays that Cassie unfolded a letter that she had received at breakfast that morning and started to read. Susan watched the smile start on her face and piped up.

"Is that from Sirius?"

She knew it was. The strange man had an uncanny knack of making her Cassie smile like that. She guessed it was the simple fact of finally having a relative that actually wanted her to live with them. Maybe that or the stories of his house cleaning efforts with his grumpy, uncooperative house elf. It couldn't be his jokes. They were terrible ... and not very ... _clean_.

 **Yep, apparently Kreacher is looking forward to meeting me almost as much as the portrait of his mother.**

"I can imagine. Aunt Amelia says that Lady Walburgia Black was an absolute tartar back in the day. Used the M word more than anybody she has ever heard and she has to work with Malfoy's dad. I can't think that her portrait will be any less bigoted or nasty."

 **Yes, and just think she'll be able to chew me out for being a lesbian too. Won't that be fun.**

Susan looked sharply at the smirking girl who was currently attempting to disuade Shortcake from eating her letter. The question that burned in her brain left her mouth before she could stop it.

"Are you one then? A le ... lesbian I mean."

 **Hmmm. Let's see. I like girls. A lot. In a want to snog their face off, oh my god yes kind of a way. So yes, I think so Suzie. Don't you?**

"I see. And is there a girl in particular that you like?"

Shut up, shut up, shut up. You daft cow just stop talking. Susan's brain was absolutely screaming at her now in an attempt to avoid getting an answer that she didn't want to hear. It couldn't be her. It just couldn't. It was going to be some stunner from an upper year like Cho Chang or Katie Bell. She froze as she felt a palm stroke her cheek and tried desperately not to lean into it. She failed and nearly missed Cassie's answer.

 **What do you think.**

"I think that's a good way of avoiding the question."

Susan's heart was hammering in her chest now, she felt like she was going to have one of those muggle 'cardigan arrests' that Ginny had told her about. And she should know, her dad was an expert on muggles. All thought ceased for the red head as she saw Cassie sign out the answer.

 **It's you Suzie. It's always been you.**

Cassie thought that this was the biggest squeal she had managed to coax out of the girl yet as Susan launched herself at her and proceeded to put her in a very effective and enthusiastic, if unorthadox, lip lock. When the other girl finally allowed them them to surface for some much needed air, Cassie got her attention again.

 **You know I might have to reconsider if you're going to be this slow at everything.**

"Shut up and kiss me."

So she did. Just once though.

 **That's enough Cuddles. You've got until September and our first Hogsmeade visit of the year to work out how you're going to ask me out properly. None of this vague half arsed mumbling mind, I expect poetry and flowers at the very least.**

Susan's face suddenly drained of all colour. She felt slightly sick.

"P ... p ... poetry?"

Cassie looked at her and shrugged.

 **I'm Welsh love. Poetry and passion. It's kind of our thing you know.**

The tall, gaunt, dark haired man stood alone at the platform waiting for the familiar old scarlet express train to roll into Kings Cross. Nobody stood near him, nobody made eye contact with him. He understood the fear that they had. It would take a long time to correct the assumptions that they had spent the last twelve years believing. To most of them he was still the convict. The murderer. It didn't matter. There was only one person whose opinion he was interested in and as the train pulled up to a stop, he was about to find out what that opinion was. His steel grey eyes picked out four figures striding confdantly to the barrier where he waited, scattering fearful looking students from their path. He almost laughed at the display before reminding himself that he needed to stay calm for the girl. They looked at each other briefly before identical shit eatng grins broke out and Cassie fairly leapt into his arms, wrapping her herself tightly around him.

His voice cracked slightly as he said the words that he had been dreaming of saying since their first meeting last September.

"Hello Cass, love. Are you ready to go home?"

The human limpet nodded wetly into his shoulder and with a brief nod at Cassie's friends, they left the station together.

As this touching scene was playing out in London, many miles North and East in a dark prison on top of a rock in the North Sea, Peter Pettigrew managed his first animagus transformation since his arrest in December. His magic had been unable to do this, firstly because of a magical block by the aurors and then because of the tender attentions of the dementors. But now he had recovered enough to make it stick. A little more practice and he would be able to make it last. Not as long as last time (twelve years must be some kind of record after all) but hopefully long enough. Quickly transforming back he lay back on his rickety cot, pulled the threadbare blanket over himself and smiled tightly thinking that the wizarding world never did learn too well. Sirius had escaped in his animal form and now one year later he would do the same. Then he was going to leave this damned country far behind. Off to foreign climes for Peter. He thought Albania sounded nice. Sunshine, beaches, and most importantly remote. Very, very remote.

In Peter Pettigrew's life he had made many bad decisions that had come back to bite him in the arse. This one would turn out to be the absolute worst that he had ever made. And probably the last one too. In his blissfull unknowing state, not having 'the sight', Peter continued to smile. It would not last for long.

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 **Phew. Well after fourteen chapters and nearly fifty thousand words we have, at last, got to the start. I choose to think of this as a very long prologue. You, as always, may think what you like.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	15. Chapter 15

**And so we begin.**

 **Things are going to slow down considerably from this point on as we have finally reached the start. I would like to thank everyone for your wonderful support so far. Your favourites, follows and lovely reviews are the reason that this story continues.**

 **Now there's a lot of information in this one so do try and keep up.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **15\. Paint it Black.**

It was still strange for Cassie to be woken from her slumbers, in possibly the largest and most comfortable bed that she had ever had the pleasure of sleeping in, by a house elf bring her coffee and the morning paper. Not that she was complaining mind. This was definitely one of the nicer benefits of being regarded as the de facto head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of black. Another was the private bath the size of a small swimming pool just through the door next to her equally impressive dressing room. An amused smile crossed her delicate features as she recalled her first day in Number Twelve Grimmuald Place that had firmly cemented her in this interesting position as the sole occupant of the master bedroom and mistress of the house.

Her first introduction to the Black family had been a bit of an eye opener for Cassie. She was used to people not liking her but the vitriol that had poured out of the portrait of Sirius' mother, when she had tripped over that damned troll leg in the hall and woken her up, was new even for her. Still at least it wasn't the normal stuff about her being dark or evil or a psycho. No, it seemed that Walburgia was far more concerned about her parentage than anything else, screaming about dirty little half bloods being dragged up in the mud and infecting her proud house with their filth. Something like that anyway she wasn't really listening after the first couple of sentences to be honest. Somebody else hated her for something she had no control over, no great shock there. She did, however, listen when the nasty little elf decided to join in though. She was able to close the curtains on the portrait but this obnoxious, bat eared git with the gravelly voice was a servant in the house and it was obvious that he was going to be following her around like a bad smell. He didn't trust her. Cassie's next actions proved him to be quite right in this regard. When he switched his bile ridden comments to her newly found god father she snapped.

With an almost lazy gesture of her hand the black haired girl's magic held Kreacher a foot and a half off the ground for a moment before slamming him into the wall of the hallway. Her face was an emotionless mask as she approached the elf but her eyes were alight with utter fury. When the goblin made dagger buried itself in the wall mere millimetres from his throat the, now bug eyed and hyperventilating, house elf tried very hard not to wet himself. Cassie brought her left hand up and forced his still bared teeth apart before she firmly gripped his tongue and pulled it to its maximum, and rather painful, extension. Then, peering coldly at him over the top of her rimless glasses, she brought the evil looking blade up and laid it along the base of Kreacher's speech organ, the keen edge leaving a thin, red line simply under it's own weight. The message was very clear. If he couldn't regulate his views or language in her presence then she would do it for him. And she wouldn't be gentle. Kreacher thought that this monster of a girl made Miss Bellatrix seem like a warm, sane, reasonable and positively cuddly human being.

The old elf tried to gulp and found he couldn't. He tried to nod his agreement but found that, once again, he couldn't. Those eeire, terrifying, cold, emerald eyes continued to bore into his skull for what seemed like an hour, but was probably only a few seconds, until the girl had decided that he fully understood and stepped back, releasing him. As he hit the floor he glanced up at the girl who was clearly going to be a permanent and powerful fixture here in Grimmuald Place and considered his, unfortunately, limited options in regard to her. He could continue in his old ways, born of a decade of solitude with only the portrait of his late mistress to talk to, and the black haired terror would cut out his tongue. Or maybe worse. Or he could embrace the new situation in which he found himself and live his remaining days in relative peace and security. Discretion being the better part of valor and all that he decided on the latter course of action. Kreacher did not have a valorous bone in his body and although he wasn't particularly discrete either he considered that living was definitely better than the alternative.

Head bowed, he shuffled closer and tentatively grasped the knees of his new tormentor, his new mistress, desperate to improve her poor first opinion of him. He didn't have to like her but he respected her strength and after this display he most certainly wouldn't be disobeying her any time in the near future. Better a live coward than a dead lion. He whined ingratiatingly.

"Mistress Cass will forgive her Kreacher?"

There was only a brief pause before she placed placed her hand softly on the elf's head and rubbed his ear affectionately. Despite himself he leaned into the gilr's tentative caress and smiled up at her.

"Kreacher will ready the master suite for Mistress."

Sirius' jaw was all but stuck to the floor following this little display by his new ward. He knew that his god daughter was a powerful young witch but to actually see her reduce that grumpy, bigoted, bat eared, big mouthed old bastard to a simpering, obsequious toady like that was simply astonishing. The voice that now came from behind him, speaking more softly than he ever remembered her doing so, astounded him even more.

"Do close your mouth Sirius, you look like a goldfish at a muggle fair."

"She just attacked your faithful old family retainer. Why aren't you screaming at her?"

"Because despite being a half blood, she is quite clearly more of a Black than you'll ever be boy. My god grandaughter obviously knows what real power is, and unlike you, Sirius, she is not afraid to use it to further her own ends. Bringing her into the family may be the only thing of true note that you have ever done."

This statement by the old crone in the painting elicited a muttering scowl from her son and a calmly raised eyebrow from Cassie.

"Very nice my dear but you really must try not to smirk like that every time you get your own way. It's a dead giveaway. Don't worry, it's something that we can work on together ... Cassandra."

Walburgia Black was, in her lifetime, a very clever woman, she had to be simply to survive in the House of Black, and her portrait self carried all of her wicked intelligence on within it. House elf magic was not to be sniffed at by any means and she had just watched her traitorous son's young ward demolish a very old and accomplished practitioner of it in less than a minute. Wandlessly and wordlessly the small girl had exhibited more power and control than she had seen in since her father in law was at the height of his considerable powers. Pragmatism was something that her family had been known for long before the 'Toujours purs' stupidity had raised it's ugly head. She may have towed the party line of blood purity for the sake of appearances but she had always been more of a pragmatist when it came to enhancing their family's power. A power which could only grow if this extraordinary young woman was brought into the fold. In a fine example of selective blindness, Walburgia had decided that the best chance for the survival of her noble and most ancient house was if it were led by this ill bred, illegitimate, half blood. Sirius was and always would be a child trapped in a mans body, she feared, so he would be the figurehead but she would see to it that Cassandra was the power in the shadows. And the wizarding world would tremble before the Blacks once more.

Yes the Black family was certainly one which took some getting used to but once accepted, as they now had Cassie, you were in for life. The elder generation might be 'mad, bad and dangerous to know' as Lady Caroline Lamb had once said of Lord Byron (a descendant of a squibbed out offshoot of the Blacks apparently) but they were fiercely loyal to anyone they considered their own. Not that they still couldn't be seriously irritating. After two weeks of Kreacher following her around like a lost puppy and Walburgia treating her like the newest in a long line of trainee dark ladies, Cassie was in dire need of some time out of this insane asylum of a house. The spellcasting lessons in the Black library were very useful and interesting but she still found being taught by a painting was awfuly creepy, and for someone, like herself, who excelled in being creepy that was quite a feat.

And then there was Sirius.

It hadn't taken very long for Cassie to come to the conclusion that her new parental authority figure was; a.) extremely juvenile, and b.) an annoying arse. She would admit, if pushed, that the strange man who had been her parents' closest friend could be very sweet at times but he was still an arse. Take this morning, for instance. July thirty first. Her fourteenth birthday. She had been extremely touched, almost verging on tearful upon being presented with a brightly wrapped present from him over breakfast. Right up to the point that she had opened it and seen the title of the book that fell out onto the table in front of her.

 _The Hidden Benefits of Being a Parselmouth; Cunnilingus and You._

Cassie stared open mouthed at the highly inappropriate reading material that was her god father's birthday gift to her. She very slowly began to regain the power of conscious thought and rounded on Sirius, red faced, with a very dangerous look on her face.

 **You do realise that you've just given me a sex book on my fourteenth birthday don't you.**

The gaunt, black haired man nodded happily, his grey eyes sparkling with glee and gave her a huge grin.

"Oh yes."

 **There is something very, very wrong with you.**

""Mmmhmm." He mumbled through a mouthful of toast and sent her a saucy wink. "I could always rewrap it and give it to you at your party tonight."

His eyes widened as he thought of something, he gave a barking laugh and made a grab for the book.

"Can you just imagine the look on your girl Susan's face ... or Amelia's. Oh please let me do that. Please, please, please."

Cassie slapped his hand away and promptly sat on her new book.

 **Get off it's mine. Besides there is no way I'd let you embarrass my Suzie like that.**

She smirked suddenly.

 **That's my job.**

They were saved from futher argument by the simultaneous arrival of three owls, two of which managed to collide with each other while the third flew around the feathery carnage in the centre of the table and landed gracefully in front of Cassie. Well it would have been graceful if it hadn't landed right on her plate and sent the whole thing flying into the girl's lap. Cassie retrieved her messages as Kreacher tutted and fussed over her, cleaning up the mess, and Sirius howled in laughter.

"How is it that all of your friends owls are so entertainingly crap. Do you think that they went through a special training school. Like an owl clown academy or something?"

Cassie rolled her eyes at her god father and reached for some treats for her avian visitors, who were now lined up before her looking expectantly at the breakfast goodies. Snorky, the Lovegoods' owl was the first to receive his bacon and a tickle under the chin, doing so with a slightly aloof air as if his mind was filled with other, less mundane, tasks and completely ignoring the fact that he had just destroyed one of her plates. Shianni, the excitable young Bones' owl was next and twittered, precked and cooed at the black haired girl under her soft ministrations. She had been coming here every day since the young miss had got back from school and enjoyed the attention that was always lavished on her for her many important deliveries. Last in line was Errol. Poor old Errol. Cassie smiled as she scooped up the ancient Weasley owl and smoothed his ruffled feathers. She continued to cuddle the recovering bird while feeding him small bite sized pieces of sausage and bacon and signalled for the still giggling Sirius to read out her mail to her.

"Luna says she's excited to be invited to your party and wants to know if she can bring her latest acquisition with her. Which is apparently a fairy. That would be something to see, I thought they were extinct."

Sirius face darkened a little as he moved on to the next envelope and began to read.

"Ginny's upset that she won't be coming because her mother is, and I quote, 'a prissy old hag who doesn't understand that you are the best and truest friend that she's ever had'. Anyway she says happy birthday and to give you a kiss from her. Oooh has Susan got a love rival or is there going to be a threeway at some point. If there is I want pictures."

Cassie glared and shook her head at the pervy old reprobate who ignored her entirely and ploughed on regardless.

"Now then, let's see what your girlfriend has to say for herself. Awwww she wants you to know that she loves you very much and is wondering if your brilliant and attractive god father has given you anything that the two of you can try out in the bedroom when you meet up."

 **She did not say that.**

A disgruntled Errol flapped tiredly up to perch on her shoulder, annoyed at the girl's sudden movements as Cassie summoned the letter from her idiot guardian's hand, cradling it protectively against her chest to read later. In private and away from certain dirty old men who should know better.

 **Git.**

The party for Cassie's fourteenth birthday that was held that evening in the family sitting room was an odd mixture of sweet, playful fun and gnawing, nervous tension. These conflicting attitudes were in large part due to the guests who had been selected to attend. In one corner stood Minerva MacGonnagal, Filius Flitwick and ,most surprisingly, Severus Snape while in the other (the fun corner according to them) was Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and Sirius Black. While Cassie and Luna danced around with Shortcake and a diminutive fairy in between them these two groups glared at each other with subtle but undisguised animosity. Over seeing this potential train wreck of an evening was the stern countenance of Walburgia Black, glowering at everyone from above the large fireplace. The only thing they all apparently agreed on was the amusement at the sight of an over excited Susan Bones barreling out of the floo to leap upon and then proceeding to snog the face off of the birthday girl. The chorus of sniggers, cheers and whistles stood testament to that. Even Amelia cracked a grin at her nieces enthusiastic greeting and the two girls' subsequent blushes when they finally realised that they were not alone in the room. After that things became a touch less frosty with some actual, polite, if slightly forced, conversational interraction occuring between the two groups of partygoers.

Music and alcohol had loosened them all up further and by the time it came to the gift giving section of the night an almost cordial atmosphere reigned. Presents were offered by all the guests as well as a particularly thoughtful one from a suddenly very shy old house elf. Kreacher, it seemed, had taken a bit of a shine to his new mistress despite her dubious ancestry and had given her his most prized possesion. A locket that had belonged to the bad dog's brother, the great and wise master Regulus.

Cassie had smiled and nodded her thanks to everyone at their small and not so small offerings, bestowed another steamy kiss on a certain red head on receipt of her new wand holster, but it was her god father's second gift of the day that left her stunned. It was a simple vial of blood and a code book. The green eyed girl's eyes widened comically at his explanation.

"I know you've been trying to figure out how read Lily's diary and knowing how your mother operated in regard to her privacy I thought that you might need these. It's Lily's blood and her codex. The goblins _really_ didn't want to give me these but I managed to persuade them, just ... never ask me how. Those grumpy buggers are nearly as paranoid as you are."

Sirius felt his shirt dampen as the girl who had become his main reason for continuing to live clung to him tightly. His chest swelled with pride as he realised that he had actually done something right for once. The gift was perfect, his little princess was happy and all was right with the world. Even his mother's exasperated tutting at their crass, public display of affection couldn't bring his mood down. From across the room a smiling Amelia Bones caught his eye and raised her glass in recognition of a job well done. Bugger me, he thought, if this was all it took to finally get his biggest ever crush to notice him he'd have broken out of an escape proof prison and dashed to save Cassie years ago.

The gathering broke up a short while after and with her hostess duties done Cassie ran headlong for her bedroom. Once ensconsed safely in the privacy of her suite she retrieved the battered old journal and followed Sirius' instructions. A drop of Lily's blood on her finger then run it down the spine of the book, open it up then place another drop on the page and miraculously words began to appear written in a neat, close hand. Trying not to cry all over the precious work Cassie reached for the codex and started to read.

Temporarily mounted on the wall of the magically extended cellar the spirit of Walburgia Black watched from within the confines of her portrait as the angry young woman trained. The old woman looked on in admiration while Cassandra stepped about the room in fluid, swift, deadly moves cursing and slashing with wand and dagger, combining brutal physical attacks with increasingly darker spells. Black hair and blood red cape flying around her small body it was like seeing a young Bellatrix again, although the current occupant of Twelve Grimmuald Place was perhaps more controlled than her wayward niece. Bellatrix was technically better, she thought, but Cassandra had time yet to learn and she had no doubt that the girl would surpass her in both skill and power if she kept improving at this rate. Practice made perfect after all. When Cassie put away her wand and morphed the dagger into the form of a great black scythe, however, all comparisons between the two black haired young women ceased. Walburgia knew now that if they ever met in battle Bellatrix was in for a very big shock indeed.

Cassie had been holed up in her room for the last two days reading Lily's journal and had only emerged this evening, red eyed and restless. All the permanent residents of the house had been worried, and they were right to be. Her mother's treatment, first at the hands of the purist bigots and then at those of James Potter, the man who had supposedly loved and adored her, had left the girl raging mad and with an unquenchable thirst for violent vengence. Even Sirius wasn't immune as his first innocent, but ill advised, prank upon her after she had surfaced had resulted in him being blasted down two flights of stairs and having to have several bones regrown. Although she would eventually forgive him and Remus, as they at least had stood by Lily when her father abandoned them, now was not the time to be pushing her buttons. Cassie was in a towering rage and nobody was safe.

As the wild eyed girl let out all of her pent up rage and frustration on the numerous practice dummies that she had instructed Sirius to construct, the former Black matriarch could only gape in awe. When she was a girl she had always been fascinated by muggle dancing and had once snuck out to see a performance by the Bolshoi troupe in London. From that moment on she had been hooked and had actually seen the fabled Galina Ulanova herself perform Swan Lake, but even she could not compare to the terrifying ballet of death being played out before her. Had these manequins been actual people the cellar would have been painted red with their blood many times over from floor to ceiling. She had made the right choice in selecting this grand daughter of Dorea Black to lead the family back into the greatness that they so richly deserved. Dumbledore was an idiot to let this little firecracker go so easily and she could only hope that he lived long enough to realise the enormity of his mistake. Her musings were cut short when the firecracker in question finished her whirling, twirling steel tsunami with a flourish, bent on one knee with the enormous scythe held straight out to the side in an impressive show of strength.

And then the floor exploded.

Remus, Kreacher and a limping Sirius rushed worriedly through the door only to stop dead at the sight of Cassandra Evans kneeling, panting and sweating, in a large crater that had once been the cellar floor.

 _"Are you alright Little Cass?"_

The python who had been watching his friend and mistress from the corner of the room massaged her neck with his muscly coils and hissed quietly in her ear.

 _"I'm fine sweetie. Just a little tired."_

 _"I would imagine so."_

Cassie tried to chuckle at her familiar's dry humour but found that she couldn't even summon the energy for that small task.

 _"I think I need to go back to bed."_

Once Kreacher had apparated the exhausted girl and her snake back up to the master suite, the two men looked around at the demolition site that had previously been Twelve Grimmuald Place's subterranean training room. The sheer scale of the destruction that Cassie had caused was quite phenomenal. It was clear that Sirius was going to have to pay the goblins a lot of gold to first sort this out and then strengthen and ward it (not to mention the rest of the house) in case she took it into her head to do this sort of thing again. They glanced at each other and smiled. Sirius rubbed the back of his still sore head before giving a sheepish, lopsided grin.

"Remind me not to piss her off again."

"If you had paid attention when I told you about what she did to those dementors or that boggart." Here Remus shuddered at the memory. "Then you wouldn't have been stupid enough to piss her off even once."

He regarded his old friend speculatively for a moment.

"Actually maybe you would have been that stupid."

"Oi."

"Boys. If we could put the comedy double act aside for a moment I have a task for you."

They turned to face the painting.

"My apologies Mrs Black."

He might be a werewolf, Walburgia thought, but at least he was a werewolf with good manners. Hopefully his respectful attitude might rub off on her son a bit, though she seriously doubted it. Turning back to the matter at hand she addressed the two young (well young to her at any rate) men in her most regal and commanding manner.

"Mr Lupin, I need you to acquire some books on the ancient art of elemental magic."

"Of course Mrs Black."

Remus didn't understand the request but he wasn't about to argue with her when she was in this mood.

"Sirius you need to get her to agree to accompany you to Gringotts and perform a blood adoption."

"Why?"

The portrait of the old woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. Why couldn't her moronic son just do as he was told for once, like the wolf had. She drew upon her hard learned occlumency lessons in an attempt to calm herself before having to explain to the ungrateful little shit.

"Her summoning and banishing spells are basically manipulation of the air medium and we all know how good she is at those. Even without a wand. And after today I think we can all agree that she has demonstrated control in earth magic."

"Control? She destroyed the ground and nearly killed herself doing it, I'd hardly call that control."

"Correction, oh idiot fruit of my loins, she caused an earthquake. Yes it was raw and over powered but it was never the less impressive and showed great ... potential. All we need to do is train her in fire and water magic and then she will have it all. Our Cassandra could be the first true elementalist in three centuries and I want her to be working for the Blacks when she learns to harness her powers."

"Oh."

Sirius had not missed the fact that his mother had called her _'Our Cassandra'_ and while he wasn't overly convinced that the old bat's motives were exactly as pure as the driven snow he could at least see the sense in giving her all the tools available to fight the oncoming storm. What with both Voldemort's shade and Dumbledore gunning for her Cassie could use all the help she could get. Having powerful, if slightly dark, elemental magic as well as the power and prestige of being a member of a noble and most ancient house behind her might just tip the scales in her favour.

"Alright then. But I will not force the adoption on her. She will be told everything and she has to agree to it willingly. That is the way it will be and it is _not_ up for discussion."

After terms were agreed and the pact was made the two of them left to begin their assigned tasks and Walburgia started to plan her future grand daughter's path to glory. The House of Black would be making a startling comeback into the elite of wizarding Britain. A comeback that would be led by a messy haired, green eyed goddess who would be rigorously schooled in the ancient ways and magics of their people. A comeback led by a Black. Cassandra Black. She smiled and called for Kreacher to move her frame up into the master bedroom. There was much to be done and she might as well start now.

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 **The title of the sex book that Sirius gave to Cassie came from a story called Harry Potter and the sword of Gryffindor by Cloneserpents. It's pure smut but quite fun. I would have asked permission to use it but their PM was turned off.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	16. Chapter 16

**I didn't know whether or not to give a warning for this chapter but knowing how the subject gets some people all huffy I've decided to err on the side of caution.**

 **There will be instances of smoking in this chapter, some by a** _ **teenager**_ **. I know. Disgusting right? I'm sure that real teenagers have never and would never do something that horrible or rebellious.**

 **Seriously though, we all know that this isn't even close to the worst thing I've done in my little stories so try not to get all bent out of shape about it. 'Kay.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **16\. Fire and Water.**

The tall wizard and his short female companion sat in the well appointed waiting room at Gringotts Wizarding Bank each lost in their own thoughts. Sirius was feeling extremely pleased with himself at how quickly he had managed to get the young woman sitting next to him to agree that being adopted by blood into the Black family was actually a good thing. Even his sour faced mother had deigned to give him a compliment, albeit a slightly back handed one, at his speedy progress in the matter. But this was Walburgia Black they were talking about and so any kind of a compliment was a step up in their relationship. Cassie, for her part, was idly swinging her legs and wondering if this meant that she would now have enough money to buy up Hogwarts School and put it's doddery old fool of a headmaster out of a job. She was still smiling at this pleasant thought when the door at the other end of the office opened and Throatrip entered with another elderly and serious looking goblin in tow. The two humans stood and bowed politely before everyone got themselves seated.

"Ah Miss Evans, a pleasure to see you again. May I introduce my esteemed companion and my boss, Ragnok."

Sirius half rose half bowed in surprise and consternation at the presence of the head of Gringotts Bank while Cassie waved and gave a coy little smile. Both goblins snorted in amusement at their differing greetings. Still grinning, Ragnok began the proceedings.

"May I just say Miss Evans how entertained we were by your slaughter of the dementors on the Hogwarts express. I believe that Throatrip here has commissioned a painting of the scene for his office. Myself, I preferred the boggart. Absolutely brilliantly brutal. It is so rare to find a really skilled wielder of such a magnificent old weapon as the scythe these days. Anyway, to business. How may Gringotts assist you today, oh mistress of chaos?"

Sirius sniggered at her title and received a sharp kick in the shins from the girl for his pains.

"I see you have brought a ... _friend_ with you."

"Hello sir. Sirius Black, Cassie's god father. I'm here to translate for her. Among other things."

"Oh yes Mister Black. We are well who aware _you_ are."

Cassie poked the black haired man in the side and gestured to him.

 **Stop arsing around and tell him what we want.**

"Yeah. Right. Sorry Cass. So we need you fellows to facilitate a blood adoption for us. We want to make Cass here a full member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. It's heir in fact."

Ragnok gave the man a predatory grin.

"Well now. Isn't that interesting? And expensive of course."

Forty minutes later the newly minted Cassandra Marguerite Evans-Black was sat in a booth at Fortescue's tucking into her triple chocolate sundae with rainbow sprinkles and reading her new documentation again. Her seal of nobility. Or her 'get out of jail free' card as she chose to think of it. With this piece of parchment on her she could, quite literally, get away with murder. Not that she hadn't before, but it would be a lot easier now. Legally speaking anyway. She was sure that her new girlfriend would probably have a thing or two to say to her if she started going around chopping people up for fun. Not that she would. It was just nice to know that she could continue to _vigorously_ defend herself without the fear of imprisonment. These old pure blood families really did have an insane amount of advantages over the rest of the wizarding population. It was no wonder more than half of the death eaters had managed to avoid Azkaban after Voldemort's fall last time. With one of these babys in your wallet you were pretty much untouchable.

 _ **Name; Cassandra Marguerite Evans-Black**_

 _ **Mother by birth; Lily Rose Evans**_

 _ **Father by blood adoption; Lord Sirius Orion Black**_

 _ **Blood Status; Half**_

 _ **Member of; Noble and Most Ancient House of Black**_

 _ **Heir to; Noble and Most Ancient House of Black**_

 _ **Credit; Unlimited**_

 _ **Immunity; Unlimited**_

The fact that Sirius now had his own one of these and the thought of the havoc that he would cause because of it made her laugh out loud, or at least her own quiet, huffing version of laughter. Unfortunately she was still eating her ice cream at the time and things got a bit ... _messy_. She laughed until she snorted and was forced to suffer through the indignity and embarrassment of having her father wipe away the small bubbles that had exited her nose and run down her face. Father. Dad. Daddy. Da'. Pops. Cassie ran through all of the terms that she could now properly ascribe to Sirius before settling on an old favourite.

 **Git.**

From behind the curtains of Twillfit and Tattings a pair of cool blue eyes adorning the proud, aristocratic face of Narcissa Malfoy watched the black haired duo play out their intimate little family dama. She had been as surprised as everyone else in the Wizangamot when the newly freed and entitled Lord Sirius Black had made the retrieval of the 'girl-who lived's guardianship his first order of business. As a skilled politician of many years standing she had been impressed that her idiot cousin had possessed the requisite acumen to achieve such a stunning and well thought out victory so soon after his release from custody. It was a shrewd political move and knowing Sirius' immature nature and his lack of patience Narcissa was convinced that he must have had help. A lot of help. From some clever and powerful people.

Some discrete enquiries to certain friends and acquaintances who had both direct and indirect involvement at Hogwarts had given her the names of the Evans girl's most ardent supporters at the school. Overt and otherwise. Three names stood out as the prime movers and shakers behind this clever plot, besides the violent but quietly intelligent young woman herself that is. MacGonnagal and Bones were a given, but the a third, less obvious, name also sprang to mind. Now all she had to figure out was what in Merlin and Morgana's name Severus Snape could possibly be playing at by helping one of his most hated childhood enemies. Had to be something to do with the girl's mudblood mother that he had lusted after for all those years she supposed. She turned back to the shop assistant and directed the woman to bring her some refreshment with a bored wave, her mind filled with questions. Perhaps it was time to ask her new Head of House for a Black family conclave. It meant putting up with her blood traitor sister and lunatic cousin for an afternoon but if that got her some much needed answers then she would tolerate it with her usual fortitude.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The day after Sirius and Cassie's successful foray to Diagon Alley to sort out the details of her status within the wizarding world in general and the Black family in particular, Remus Lupin made his triumphant return to Twelve Grimmuald Place. The former professor puffed a bit as he dragged the large box out of the floo and into the sitting room proper. He came bearing gifts. A lot of gifts.

"What's in the box Remus? _What's in the box?"_

"You know what's in the box, you idiot. It's books."

At the mention of her most favourite things in the world a passing fourteen year old witch stopped in her tracks outside the door and, after a brief pause to gather herself, struck. The two former marauders saw a red blur streak past them, rip off the lid and dive into the box pulling out three large and weighty tomes which it then hugged to it's chest with a big, dopey smile. Cassie did love new things to read. She threw herself onto the sofa next to Sirius and favoured him and Remus with a huge grin before they lost her to her new leatherbound friends.

 _Morgana's Lost Art; A History of Elemental Magicks_

Cool beans.

"She could have at least said thank-you." Remus grumbled.

"A Black never says thank-you until the gift has proven it's worth."

"You got the blood adoption done then?"

"Was it ever in doubt old old friend?"

"With you involved? Absolutely." The werewolf grinned at Sirius. "Here I picked you up something as well Padfoot."

He tossed a medium sized box across the room in the general direction of the couch. Rather harder than was strictly necessary. As it approached Srius at speed a small, pale hand shot up and grabbed it from the air just before it hit him in the face. Cassie looked up from her book and examined the item with mild interest before flipping the catch and pulling out one of the carefully packaged little white sticks. She rolled it between her dextrous fingers, brought it to her nose and sniffed. One delicate eyebrow rose as she turned to her pseudo uncle who was still blinking at her lightning fast reactions.

 **Question Moony. Did you just give** _ **him**_ **a box full of joints? Cause I can't even begin to tell you what an incredibly bloody stupid thing that would be to do.**

Remus gulped as he interpreted her slow and deliberate signing. The fact that she was going slowly was either because he was still learning sign language and she was being considerate of him. Which was a good thing. Or. That she was so monumentally angry with him that she was struggling to keep control of her temper. Which was a bad thing. He looked into her cold, hard, emerald eyes and decided that he was probably screwed.

"Ah no, well, you see. They're ... um ... cigarettes. Special ... large ... herbal ... cigarettes."

The raised eyebrow made another appearance.

 _ **Really**_ **. You won't mind if I try one then will you.**

"Need a light princess?"

Sirius grinned evilly as held the match to the special cigarette that was now perched in his new daughter's mouth. She gave a couple of quick puffs as it caught and then inhaled deeply in to her lungs, her face in an expression of deep thought. Holding it in for a few seconds Cassie allowed the greenish smoke to escape from her delicately pursed lips, then smiling, nodded in practiced and obvious appreciation. Remus suspected that this was not the girl's first time smoking substances of dubious legality.

"Alright, alright. Don't bogart it."

The tired werewolf smothered a laugh as the head of the noble and most ancient house of Black started a wrestling match with his heir for control of the, now highly prized, smoking artefact. Deciding that they probably wouldn't be getting any work done today he got Kreacher to bring them Sirius' old wind up gramophone and some of his vinyls from the attic. He flipped through for while until he found what he was looking for. Ah. Just the thing. Iron Butterfly's Innagaddadavida started to pound out as the smoke began to fill the sitting room. He smiled broady and idly wondered if there were any Jaffa cakes in the house.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Ordinarilly, Sirius would deal with his business correspondence and paperwork from the Wizangamot in the head's study, but today he had moved his desk into the cellar in order to watch Cassie's training. He still didn't trust his mother not to try turning Cassie into the next great Dark Lady and had decided on a surprise change of venue for the day to keep the old girl on her best behaviour. Although Walburgia Black's best behaviour wasn't very nice, he would admit that her ability to get his primary heir's magical abilities up to snuff was both effective and impressive. Her training techniques may be a bit overly harsh but you really couldn't argue with the results. The resuls were truly stunning.

Standing behind a stout table containing a large pail of water and clad in leather trousers, combat boots and a tiny tank top which showed off her amazing array of tattoos, she waited for Walbugia's command to begin. Wand still strapped to her forearm Cassie raised her hands and began moving them around as if she were conducting a symphony orchestra at the Albert Hall. Her raised hands balled into fists, clenched and descended quickly, forming a large crater in the floor with a loud thump. Next she moved her arms to the side, grabbing and levitating the water, moving it swiftly across the cellar before opening her hands and sending it cascading into the crater. This done she used a complex circular upward motion, like a potter working with clay on their wheel, to raise the water in a roaring, swirling tower while bringing her hands together in an unbelievably fast clap freezing it solid before it could fall. After all this work came the finale as Cassie leaned back, muscles flexing and clenching, and launched her open palms forward to release a torrent of flame at the ice pillar. Well that's what should have happened. As her outstretched hands reached their final position all that happened was a fizz as they glowed slightly red and then faded just as quickly.

There was a deadly silence for a few seconds. Then Cassie reacted.

The furious girl kicked out at the table violently sending it and the bucket crashing across the large room, her whole body ticking and vibrating in frustration. Why couldn't she get this? Everything else was so simple for her. While, with the many previous years of unconscious practice air magic was clearly her forte, the way she spun and manipulated the very atmosphere about her was both easy and impressive, she wasn't exactly shabby with earth and water either. Fire, however, was another matter entirely. Stupid flamey crap. Every single time she attempted to summon up the unpredictable element she was met with varying levels of failure. The most she had managed in the last four days of bloody hard work had been a few flashes of sparks and the occasional puff of black smoke. Her new grandma wasn't exactly helping with it either, just telling her the same old thing over and over again. Summon it Casssandra. Concentrate Cassandra. It's all about your will Cassandra Stop playing around and concentrate Cassandra. Oh she was concentrating alright. Concentrating on finding a way to blast the annoying old biddy right out of her bastard frame.

Unfortunately for that she would need fire magic.

She glowered at a completely straight faced Sirius, he knew better than to antagonise her when she was in one of her _moods_ by now, and swiped one of his smokes from the box on the desk in front of him. Stalking back to the centre of the cellar Cassie drew her wand and was about to light the slim cigarette when a voice that she had grown to dislike intensely over the last week stopped her.

"If you're going to smoke one of those horrid things you will at least light it in the correct manner. No wand Cassandra. You know what you need to do. Now exercise that strong, overly tempramental will of yours and just ... do it."

Cassie gave the portrait of her adopted grand mother one of her hard eyed stares and felt the rage and frustration pulse through her as she holstered the yew focus. She very deliberately raised her middle finger at Walburgia while pushing her magic through the extended digit. A bright flash of yellow/orange flame appeared on the end of her finger and, still flipping the infuriating old woman her own fiery version of the bird, she used it to light her 'herbal cigarette'. Anger, it turned out, was the key. Pretty lucky really. What with her harsh childhood and her all too frequent temper, she had a lot of it. It would be nice to be able to put it to good use. She smiled tightly and blew a smoke ring either side of the tip of her still raised finger.

"There now. That wasn't so difficult now was it?"

From his seat at the desk Sirius bit down painfully hard on his balled up fist, which he had just jammed desperately in his mouth to try and stop the barking laughter, and peered through the spread fingers of his left hand with highly amused grey eyes. If he had known how delightfully entertaining it would be watching his mother trying to instruct Cassie in her elemental training he would have started joining them days ago. He gave an unstoppable snort and vowed to never miss another one of their sessions while opening an official looking communication from Gringotts. When he finally read the missive his good mood evaporated almost immediately.

"Oh balls. What the bloody hell does she want a Conclave for?"

Walburgia's attention turned from her gand daughter, who she had sneaking suspicion had just been excessively rude to her, to her foul mouthed son.

"Somebody wishes for a Black Family Conclave? We must prepare. Sirius, Cassandra, join me in the study."

Cassie looked over at her adoptive father and raised both eyebrows.

 **What the hell is going on Padfoot?**

Sirius jst shrugged and gathered his things.

"Buggered if I know."

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

In a town called Sarande on the southern Adriatic coast of Albania a sleeker, more tanned version of the man who used to be Peter Pettigrew sipped from his hot, sweet mint tea and sighed in pure pleasure. Now this was better. Sunshine, a healthy diet, incredible views, the scenery was quite nice too he thought as he ogled the cafe owners lovely young daughter. Yep, life was pretty damn good for him right now. Better than it had been a for the last twelve or so years anyway, being hunted and imprisoned in a country that smelled of wet dog was less than fun. He was so enamoured of his new existance that he completely failed to notice the red eyes peering out at him from an un-naturally dark shadow in the abandoned building across the street.

When Peter, or Andros Zuma as he was known here paid his bill, leaving an extravagant tip in the hope of impressing his waitress, and started to slowly wander up the hill to his rented villa, the shadow followed. Silently and stealthily it pursued the rat animagus all the way back to his home and then slipped in through the upstairs back window to wait for darkness to fall. As his target entered the bedroom some little time later the shadow seemed to pull itself into the loose form of a tall, featureless man with red eyes and finally spoke in a thin, wavering voice.

"Hello Peter."

"Oh Merlin, no. I mean ... hello, my Lord. How are you here? Why are you here?"

"I find myself in need of some assistance, my faithfull follower."

"Of course my Lord. How can I help?"

Damn the man. He had thought he was safe. He had thought he was out. Out of all the horror and the madness and the pain and the death. And just like that, with a short whispered converstion, he was pulled right back in it again. Voldemort was back and it looked like Peter Pettigrew was going to be dragged back to that dank, rainy island along with him. For a little while, at least.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

They had barely entered the grand foyer of the old bank when Sirius and Cassie were hailed by a widely smiling Throatrip. All activity stopped and every eye turned to them at the uncharacteristically friendly greeting extended by the notoriously bad tempered keepers of the wizarding world's wealth. They were intrigued by what the fabled and rumoured unstable 'girl-who-lived' was doing here to illicit this kind of treatment. One bespectacled, gaudilly dressed woman by the name of Rita Skeeter was particularly interested and tried to move closer to overhear more of the exchange. She would be disapointed at it's brevity.

"Miss Evans Black. What a pleasure it is to see you back again so soon. You too of course Lord Black. If you would follow me your guests are all ready and waiting in the meeting room."

The four people in Gringotts private meeting room sat across from each other at the ornate ebony table that was designed to seat twenty and glared. The two former Black sisters and their respective children were not exactly on good terms and hadn't been for quite some considerable time. Narcissa was angry at being left by her older sister so that she could marry some damned mudblood and spawn that revolting thing sat next to her, while Andromeda was furious that her little sister had dumped her because of some ridiculous adherence to an out dated notion of blood purity. It was a rather tense atmosphere to say the least. An atmosphere that was not improved by the late (as planned) arrival of their cousin and new Head of House, along with another rather unexpected person.

Draco, being Draco, was of course the first to point it out.

"What the hell is that half blood psycho bitch doing here?"

"Ah yes. Introductions. Cassie this Andromeda Tonks nee Black, her daughter Nymphadora, Narcissa Malfoy nee Black and I believe you know Draco from school. Everyone I'd like you to meet my daughter and heir to the House of Black, Cassandra Evans-Black."

Sirius and Cassie sat at the head of the table and smirked to each other at the uproar that ensued from his annoucement. He let it continue for few minutes before signalling to the, for once, formally and appropriately attired green eyed young woman at his side. Cassie drew her dagger and slammed it half way through the table as the tall man bellowed.

"Enough."

Four shocked and dismayed faces met the twin glares of their Head of House and his heir. Draco tried to avoid wetting himself as Cassie peered cooly over her tinted, rimless glasses with those intense, creepy, killers eyes and he remembered just how scary and just how dangerous this murderous girl was.

"Her title has been registered both here and at the ministry and this part of the discussion is over. Am. I. Understood."

There were four solemn nods.

"Good. Now then. Narcissa, why did you request this Black Family Conclave?"

The stately blonde woman glanced at her trembling disgrace of a son and gathered herself fpr the battle of wits ahead. She was going to start off with some mundane financial business and then subtly bring in her questions about Sirius' mental stability and fitness to lead the family following his incarceration. However, her cousin had outflanked her with his initial announcement of his heir and thus firmly closed the matter of succession. All she would achieve by removing him now would be to place his 'daughter' in the Head's chair thus making their lives considerably worse, bearing in mind her enmity towards her idiot son. Why couldn't the boy have been a little more Slytherin instead of baiting and harrassing the bloody girl. Oh well. Plan B then.

"Firstly cousin I would like to congratulate you on your accession to Head of House and to welcome you, young Cassandra, to the family."

Everyone else around the table narrowed their eyes and wondered exactly what kind of game Narcissa was running here.

"Secondly I would like to discuss the dispersal of funds due upon your assuming the position."

Cassie was bored. She tuned the droning, stuck up, blonde woman out and spent the rest of the dreary meeting alternating between staring at Draco and pulling faces at the amusing, vaguely familiar, pink haired young woman sat opposite him. She was annoyed that she hadn't made the Malfoy boy piss himself yet, but highly amused at her face pulling contest with Nympawhatsit, she had actually had to stifle a laugh by burying her face in Sirius' arm at one point. Still other than that this was incredibly bloody tedious. Cassie whiled away the last twenty minutes or so by carving random swear words in Welsh into the shiny ebony surface of the table with her dagger. At last she noticed that blondie had finally done with her tedious questioning and Sirius ws pulling her up out of her seat. He gave her a questioning glance at her attempts at decoration before shrugging and turning to give their goodbyes to their guests.

Narcissa and Draco were out the door as fast as they could and still be polite, un-nerved by their new utterly silent, knife wielding relative. As the doors closed on them Sirius instantly relaxed.

"Merlin's hairy arse that woman is dull."

"You're not bloody kidding. Hello Siri."

The tall man pulled his favourite cousin into a bone crushing embrace.

"Hey Andi. Long time no see. How have you been. And don't tell me that this is little Nymphie."

"Don't call me that, you steaming great git. It's Tonks. Just Tonks."

 **I like her.**

Sirius laughed raucously and Tonks glared at him.

"What did she say?"

"Why don't you and your mum come on back to Grimmuald Place and I'll explain it to you over tea. And as for you."

He fixed an innocent looking Cassie with a gaze that wavered between fake stern and incredibly amused.

"I don't know what you wrote on that table and I don't particularly want to know, but you're going to be the one to explain how it happened to Throatrip since you're such good friends and all. Right come on, let's go and have some actual fun."

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The Tonks' had ended up staying very late in the end. One look at her laughing daughter and Cassie playing an extended game of slaps, with some assistance from the black haired girl's snake familiar, had broken all resistance in the indomitable Andromeda. It was great just hanging out with Sirius and Remus again and they had all had a great deal of fun, even the portrait of that sour old monster Walburgia had not managed to spoil it. That was a surprise to her, although Andi could see what the matriarch found so fascinating about the newest and youngest Black. The threat of violence and doom poured off that girl like a thunder cloud at times while at others, like now, she was like a playful kitten, all sweet and cuddly and with eyes that could fairly melt you with a glance. Kreacher's reaction to her was even more of a shock than Walburgia's. He followed her around all doe eyed and was there the instant that she required something. And he called her _mistress_. Andromeda was beginning to see who the real force behind the resurrection of her old family was.

It had been a wonderful evening that she had only brought to a close when Cassie had lit up and then offered Nymphadora a go on something that looked and smelled distinctly illegal. She had given Sirus a few chioce words about his parenting skills but couldn't quite manage to wipe the smile off her face even as they exited, promising to visit again soon. If only to Cassandra some feminine guidance in this house of dogs and reprobates.

Acceptance by people that she liked and respected was still a farily new experience for the girl at the centre of Andromda's thoughts and it had an unexpected result. Alone in her enormous bed that night Cassie did something that she hadn't done for a very long time. She cried. It wasn't often that the girl allowed herself the luxury of tears, the last time had been after the troll incident when Hermione had ... A pang of heartache cut through her good mood as surely and effectively as if it was her scythe. No. Stop it. These happy tears of love for her new family were threatening to become something else. Something unwanted. She sighed and wiped her wet face on a corner of the sheet, doing breathing exercises in an attempt to calm herself down. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. Rinse and repeat until stable.

Stability never came that night.

Cassie knew that she loved Susan, but she _missed_ Hermione. Happy tears gave way to choking sobs which eventually subsided into a determined scowl. There was no doubt in her mind that come hell or high water a lot of things were going to change at Hogwarts. This school year she would give Albus bloody Dumbledore a right good kick in the balls. This year she would get her friend back. And just let the old bastard try to stop her.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	17. Chapter 17

**I know I said it was going to go slower now but three whole chapters for one summer is something of a record for me. That being said, get used to the new pace because it's here to stay. As are the more frequent updates, hopefully.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **17\. Roisin Dubh.**

On a side table in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts School there was an odd assortment of silvery looking instruments and implements which had, for twelve years, whistled, spun and puffed in a variety of fun and interesting ways. Well they had until this summer when Cassandra Evans had become a full fledged member of the Black family and their magic was blocked forever. It was something of a surprise then that Albus Dumbledore's attention was drawn to one of these items suddenly emitting a high pitched whine while belching small amounts of black smoke into the air above it. He approached the table and saw that the noise was coming from a slightly darker silver miniature tea kettle shaped like a snake. Oh this should be interesting, he thought to himself as he deciphered the signs. Tom had made it back to Britain and was now corporeal. At least somewhat, anyway.

The old man sat back in his throne and wondered what his old enemy was up to and more importantly whether it would affect his own plans for the coming year. If the self styled Dark Lord was looking to become fully corporeal again he would need to do some kind of ritual. Dumbledore knew exactly what this ritual was. He also knew what it entailed and what components it required. Well, no harm in letting it happen, he could even push things along a little as it would be necessary for Tom to have a recognisable body when he finally and publicly defeated him. Still no point in making it too easy for his former head boy, he really wanted to get this tournament business done before allowing the monster to return. He decided that he was going to need a particularly competent defence against the dark arts teacher this year as well as one who was completely his man. Drawing quill and parchment towards him Albus began his letter;

 _Dear Alastor. I find myself in need of your help old friend ..._

Fawkes just shook his head at the old man's stupidity.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

It wasn't often that Cassie threw a tantrum but when it did happen she left people in no doubt of her feelings whatsoever. As mature as she acted most of the time she was still a fourteen year old girl with all the attendant feelings and hormones attached to that age and today she was in full stroppy teenager mode. It was his own fault for springing it on the girl at the last minute, he supposed. The Quidditch World Cup Final was a ministry sponsored event and as such the noble and most ancient House that they were, was both politically and socially obliged to be there. Attendance was not optional for the Blacks. It didn't help matters that, although technically impartial as was every member of the Wizangamot, Sirius would be supporting Ireland which meant that Cassie would be too. Green was not her colour and she didn't fail to let that be known.

"It's not really an option love, we are the Blacks and we are expected to be there"

 **I don't care. Quidditch is stupid and I don't want to go.**

"The Bones' and the Weasleys will be there."

Sirius watched as her little girl pout lessened slightly on hearing this information and she started shuffling one of her feet around drawng invisible patterns on the flag stones of the kitchen floor. She was clearly trying to decide whether the tedium of attending a very dull (to her) sports event with some very dull (to both of them) politicians was outweighed by the fact that she would get to spend some quality time with her friends. Cassie had been so busy that she hadn't gotten to spend much time with either Susan or Luna this summer and hadn't seen Ginny at all due to the ginger girl's intefering mother keeping her close to the Burrow and away from the freak show that she called 'friends'. She wanted to see her girls but she really hated quidditch. Something Sirius was at a loss to understand.

 **Okay I'll go. But quidditch is still stupid.**

"I'll bring the gramophone and some of our _cigarettes_ and you can teach Ginny to smoke if you like. That should really piss old Molly off."

 **'Kay.**

At long last he had got a smile, albeit a small one, a positive victory given her mood this morning. Whew. Disaster averted for the moment. Now all he had to do was convince her to wear something that would cover up her tattoos and not give the great and good of the wizarding world multiple heart attacks. Knowing Cassie's fondness for tight and short and her loathing of anything with sleeves, Sirius thought that this might be more of a battle than actually getting her to attend the match in the first place. He was not wrong. The shouting match that followed was epic even for a house that had contained his opinionated and argumentative mother for the last seven decades. Twelve Grimuald Place fairly shook to it's foundations with all the banging, yelling and pleading.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Peter Pettigrew looked around at the assembled group of former death eaters and rolled his eyes as yet another bout of badly phrased pure blood rhetoric spewed from yet another black cloaked figure. He was here because he didn't have a choice. These idiots had actually volunteered themselves. All the usual suspects were here, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, MacNair, even Crouch Junior had come out of hiding for this reunion. He didn't quite understand what the point of their so called plan to disrupt the Quidditch World Cup was, but his Lord had loved it. Not surprising really. Voldemort had always loved masking his real intentions with chaos and mayhem. In that way he was a lot like Cassie. Now that he thought about it there were quite a few uncomfortable parallels between the two of them. Both orphaned early. Both hated by most of their peers. Both unbelievably violent. Both driven with their need. This was the point that they diverged though. Voldemort's need (like Dumbledore's) was for power and control whereas Cassie's was for something so much simpler. Family.

When they had learned of her elevation in to the House of Black, it's heir no less, upon their return to the shores of Britain both Peter and his small, creepy charge had been more than a little shocked. While the currently tiny Dark Lord had wept and railed about blood traitors and missed opportunities he had stood stunned at how in Merlin's name Cassie had managed to achieve acceptance in to the historically dark family. She did have a lot of the qualities that the Black's revered he guessed. Wicked intelligence, emotional control, fierce loyalty and dark, violent tendancies. Apart from the aberration that was Sirius it sounded like most of them to be honest and even his old friend Padfoot had had his dark days, if he remembered right. And he did remember right. That was a hell of crater that they had left at their last meeting all those years ago and it wasn't all his doing. No, upon further examination, it actually made a lot of sense.

Everything was in place and now the horror would begin once more. It wasn't that which bothered him so much but more the absolute certainty that he was going to be on the losing side ... again. There was such a sad inevitability about it that it was close to making him weep. He pitied anyone going up against the cold and disturbing, green eyed terror that was Cassandra Evans-Black. Unfortunately, for now, that number included him. He sighed dejectedly as the moron brigade gave a loud cheer and headed home to polish their masks for the coming operation. Pillocks.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

 _"I think you look very nice Little Cass."_

 _"I think you should shut the hell up Shortie."_

Uh oh. Mistress was in a mood. Perhaps it was something to do with the long, conservative robes that the girl was being forced to wear against her will. Well that or the big green rosette and odd hat that the tall, funny dog man they now lived with had adorned about her. The python was by no means an expert on human fashion but even Shortcake could tell that his brilliant mistress looked absolutely ridiculous. And also pretty angry. This did not bode well for anyone who upset her today and he was desperate to find a distraction for her. Luckily one came bouncing along at that very moment.

 _"Oh look mistress, your red headed strumpet approaches."_

 _"Suzie."_

The snake had to hold on tight to her as she slipped Sirius' hand and ran full pelt to leap enthusiastically on the other girl. Just before the two could extend their greeting into the habitual lip locked snogging that would inevitably occur he interposed himself between them and hissed a warning into his mistress' ear. This was a slightly perilous move on his part but Cassie had given him very specific instructions today in order to prevent the girls' relationship status being discovered in a situation where it would damage both families reputations. Not that she cared that much but the dog man and the strange old woman in the painting had requested restraint of her before they had left the house and Cassie had agreed to comply with their wishes. However reluctantly. He swelled with pride at the nod and whispered _"Thanks Shortie"_ that he received for his timely intervention.

"Oh look how cute and dorky you look."

Susan squealed with delight at her pouting, frowning girlfriend and received the resulting half hearted punch to her arm with good grace and a big silly grin on her pretty face. Taking her life in her hands she continued to tease the black haired girl.

"Soooo adorkable."

"Isn't she though."

"I don't think you're helping matters. Good morning Lord Black, it's nice to see you again."

Amelia Bones leaned in and kissed the former prisoner of Azkaban on the cheek before puling away blushing at his response.

"Good morning Madame Bones. May I just say how decidedly delectable you're looking today Amelia."

"Oh go on with you, you old flirt."

"You love it."

She did a bit. Not that she would ever let him know that. No need to add to his already enormous ego. The damned man was insufferably arrogant as it was. Charming and darkly handsome and bloody sexy too, truth be told, but definitely an arrogant sod. Amelia cleaned her monocle while trying to ignore the two giggly teenagers who were doing a fair parody of their guardians' awkward interraction with upturned noses and kissy faces. Little cows. She decided to fight back.

"What a lovely hat Cassandra. Did your grandmother pick it out for you?"

Ha. Score one for the boss of the DMLE Amelia thought as she heard Sirius desperately attempting not to guffaw at the, now thunderously scowling, green eyed girl beside him. Of course if she had known what kind of magic Cassie had spent the summer practicing she might not have provoked her quite so much. She rubbed her arm, sore from where the girl had just set fire to her sleeve and watched dumbfounded as the girl dragged her openly laughing niece off into the crowd. Next to her Sirius shouted after them.

"Yes, that's right dear you go off and have some fun and we'll just meet you at the tents later, shall we?"

"What the bloody hell was that Sirius?"

"Ah. Yes well it seems that my little princess has discovered that she has a bit of a knack for elemental casting."

"And I suppose that you, in no way, encouraged her in this?"

"Certainly not, I am an upstanding member of the Wizangamot, not some kind of loose moralled, pranking law breaker. In fact, as her Head of House, I expressly forbade her from practicing such dark and dangerous magic. It's against the law you know. My mother, however, is of a different opinion and may have been tutoring the girl in secret. But as I always say, there is no excuse for breaking the rules. Even if our house is totally unplottable and she does it mostly wandlessly anyway and could not possibly get caught."

Amelia listened to this clearly rehearsed speech delivered in a completely deadpan manner from one of the most notorious pranksters of his generation and paused briefly before collapsing into his side and roaring with laughter. Some interested onlookers were so shocked at such an out of character display by the always grimly serious woman that they walked into stalls, tent lines and even each other in a few cases. Wiping the tears from her eyes she slipped a hand through Sirius' arm and favoured him with a smile that lit up his face.

"Come along then Lord Black. Escort me to our lodgings and you can regale me with more tales of your family members' terrible misdeeds."

The grinning man agreed with alacrity.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Up in the top box the next morning Cassie was amusing herself by whipping up mini tornadoes in her palm and using them to flick pieces of rolled up ticket stubs at the head of Ronald Weasley. It was fun to watch the idiot ginger boy getting more and more wound up with every strike that she successfully made as well as the fact that his sister was grinning like a maniac at his twitches. Finally he had got so annoyed that he actually slapped himself on the ear after a particularly good shot of hers and Ginny stopped her intense study of the match for a moment to fall about laughing. Molly turned around and gave her a very pointed glare to which she responded by smiling and waving happily at her. Apparently the older woman was still a tad upset about the state that she and Sirius had returned her daughter to the Weasley tent in last night. The fact that it was two hours past her curfew and that Ginny was stinking of butterbeer and cannabis and was totally unconscious probably hadn't helped with that. Cassie was a little hazy on the details but she did remember that it had been a bloody good night. It would have been even better if Uncle Moony had been there but unfortunately it was a full moon tonight and they had decided not to risk it. She smirked and flicked another paper ball at the furious red head. Cassie was so entranced by her fun new game that she failed to react, or even notice, when the crowd rose and cheered as the Irish chasers ran in yet another goal and Viktor Krum caught the snitch ending the game. Not before time in her opinion.

"You know you could try and make it a little less obvous, Cassie love."

She smirked and poked her out tongue at him. Unfortunately the British, Irish and Bulgarian Ministers of Magic were stood behind Sirius at the time and saw her little display of ill humour. They also saw her tongue. The long, thin, pink organ with the little forked tip that flicked about as if it had a mind of it's own. Whatever conversation had been going on between the three premiers ceased immediately as they stared in shock at the short, black haired girl with the intense emerald eyes.

"Will you look at that. I'd heard stories but ... it doesn't prepare you for actually seeing it in the flesh. Oh my apologies. Kathleen Rourke, and you must be Cassandra. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Evans."

To his credit Cornelius Fudge recovered fairly quickly and corrected his Irish counterpart.

"Actually Minister Rourke it's Evans-Black now. May I introduce her father. Lord Sirius Orion Black."

"Well I do seem to spending a lot of time with my foot in my mouth today. Lovely to meet you Lord Black and once again, my apologies Miss Evans-Black. Now if you don't mind I have a little celebrating to do with our brave flyers."

The elegant Irish woman received a little nod from Cassie and an extravagant bow from Sirius before turning away with Fudge for the presentation of the trophy. The dour Bulgaran continued to stare at them until Cassie bared her teeth at the man and hissed causing him to also turn away, though more in disgust at her manners than anything else.

"Making friends I see."

Narcissa spoke up from her position just behind the Black duo. She had spent most of the match watching the girl creating air based elemental storms and then using them for a form of sport of her own. It had been both entertaining and informative for her, seeing someone of her ... _heritage_ so at ease with wandless and wordless casting and in such a rare and difficult field of magic at that. This girl was starting to intrigue her. She was beginning to comprehend some of what Aunt Walburgia saw in the scruffy little half blood.

 **Oh crap. Not her. She's not going to start talking about financial arrangements again is she Padfoot?**

"What did she say?"

Sirius stopped chuckling and managed to pull himself together enough to answer his blonde cousin.

"Cassie was just asking after your family's health cousin."

She didn't believe that for one second but wasn't about to show it.

"They are very well. Thank-you for asking Cassandra. Now, Sirius if we could possibly schedule another discussion on the Black family holdings. Perhaps over tea."

 **Kill me now.**

Her adopted father gave Cassie an overly sweet smile and piped up.

"I'm sure Narcissa wouldn't mind in the least if you sat in love."

"Of course. You would be most welcome my dear. It's rather refreshing that a young woman such as yourself is interested in the dry financial affairs of their House. Well I must be going, I'll owl you about the meeting tomorrow."

When the tedious Malfoy woman had moved away from them Cassie started menacingly towards Sirius and gave him a none too gentle poke in the chest with her finger. He looked distinctly nervous.

 **You ... are a bastard.**

His barking laughter was heard all the way to the cheap seats.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

"Death eaters!"

Everywhere she looked people were running in panic. Cassie looked up when the red flash of a stunning spell lit the night in an eerie glow and saw a black cloaked man with a silver mask flying away from her on a broom towards the grandstand. Clad in only black shorts, boots and a black sports bra Cassie struck an imposing figure as she raised her hand and wandlessly summoned the unsuspecting fool's transportation device from beneath him. Without his broomstick there was no way for the masked man to make the turn and he collided heavily with the wooden stand with a satisfying thump. Shortcake left her shoulders and raced to the prone man wrapping his coils around his neck and torso and did what he was born to do. There were a series of loud cracks as the suffocating man had at leat half of his ribs boken in the first squeeze by the mighty constrictor. Leaving her Python to his kill she took off in the direction of more screams and, rounding a corner, arrived at the back of a large tent in time to see Susan Bones being grabbed from behind by another black hooded death eater.

It took all of three seconds for Susan's brain to process what had happened before her instincts kicked in and she reacted. With movements born of many years of her Aunt drilling into her the way to act in just this type of situation she swung an elbow deep into her attackers solar plexus, stamped hard down on his instep and as the stunned man loosened his grip she backhanded a fist into his nose and then brought the same fist down to strike him in the groin. He relased her with an 'oof' sound and she ran. Or tried to. As Susan staggered away she just had time to notice a furious looking Cassie racing past her drawing her dagger from her belt and morphing it into her favourite scary weapon. From her position kneeling on the grass she watched with love in her eyes and a smile on her face while, with tattooed body dancing, her girlfriend went to work on the death eater.

The tip of the great black scythe caught the hooded and masked figure directly under the chin and he was thrown backwards several feet onto the hard ground. Not far enough though. A point she proved immediately by swinging the blade in a great arc, burying it in the man's foot and swiftly dragging him back in time to meet the toe of her combat boot as she kicked him viciously in the groin. Cassie regarded the groaning man cooly for a brief moment. On the one hand he was obviously just a pawn, some deluded fool that had been conned into thinking that this would be some great fun prank. On the other hand he had dared to lay his hands on _her_ Susan and that could not go unpunished. Not in her mind anyway. Making her decision Cassie pointed her left index finger at the foolish man and proceeded to light him up from his thighs to his hairline with a blast of bright superheated flame. The screams of the dying man were just starting to fade when she heard a noise to her right. She turned to the two red cloaked aurors who looked on in fascinated horror, smiled creepily through her hair as it hung across her face and blew sharply on her still smoking fingertip. The shocked face of Nymphadora Tonks met her steady gaze.

And then her second cousin impressed her.

"You saw nothing Johnny."

"But ... but ... we just watched her kill that guy."

"Yes she did. And what makes you think she's going to stop there. Now repeat after me. I. Saw. Nothing."

"Right. Right. Nothing to see here."

The pink haired auror chanced a brief glance at the highly recogniseable figure of the primary heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and nodded slowly and carefully to her.

"You should get yourself inside miss. Dangerous people about tonight."

Nymphadora Tonks was rewarded by a widening smile and a tilt of the head from her spooky relative. Then she was gone into the night taking her bosses niece with her. Tonks shuddered slightly and moved off in search of other, less scary and more scared, people to help.

Cassie dropped Susan off at her tent, only having to knock out one death eater with the blunt end of her scythe on the way, and headed for the woods where the huge skull beacon was hovering over the trees. When she reached the clearing she could see several people grouped around a distraught house elf, shouting and pointing their fingers at her. Cassie's anti bullying stance was never going to allow her to stand quietly by. Elbowing her way through she pulled the poor creature behind her and slammed the butt of her scythe into the floor, effectively ending the inquisition. The grey haired man in front of her glared and drew his wand on the impudent green eyed delinquent who had dared to interrupt him in the course of doing his duty.

"Bartemious Crouch what the bloody hell do you think you're doing pointing your wand at my heir."

Sirius had arrived. Not the fun, jocular, flirty Sirius that everyone had become used to over the last six months or so. Oh no. This was Lord Sirius Orion Black, former Azkaban inmate, titled member of the Wizangamot and extremely overprotective father. And he was _pissed_. He stepped right into Crouch's personal space and all but spat the next words into his face.

"Put it away or I'll tear off your hand with my teeth and use it as my new door knocker."

Mr Crouch paled significantly before the tall man's parental rage and pocketed his wand. As Sirius moved aside he gave the crying elf and her protectors a withering look and then threw his cloak at her with a final parting shot.

"Winky, you are a disgrace and you are dismissed."

He turned and apparated away on the spot leaving the growing crowd of ministry officials and aurors to gawp at the dejected elf, who was now weeping uncontrollably into her ex master's cloak, and the girl who had faced him down. Cassie calmly returned her weapon to its original state and put it away her left hand holding the gratefull Winky tightly to her. Her eyes burned fiercely as she surveyed the staring people and dared them to test her patience. She would happily disembowell anyone who attempted to harm her new friend. Amelia Bones took one look at the murderous look in the girl's hard, emerald eyes and, taking a deep breath, stepped in to diffuse the situation.

"Lord Black, since your daughter has clearly taken a bit of a shine to Winky here and vise versa by the looks of it, perhaps you should take her home with you. I'll be over in the morning with a couple of aurors to complete our investigation."

Sirius nodded his thanks then took his daughter by the hand.

"Come on love, let's get you and your little friend home."

An hour later he stood in the doorway to the master suite and watched the rise and fall of Cassie's chest as she slumbered in a deep and well earned rest. He could just see the tips of the elf's ears poking from beneath the covers where she was curled up since the girl would not be separated from her even as she slept. A pair of saucer like eyes suddennly appeared from the head of the bed in the dimly lit room and a small voice whispered to him.

"Mister sir not be worried. Winky is being a good elf. Winky not leaves, she looks after kind missy."

"I believe you will. Good night Winky."

"Night night mister sir."

Winky smiled and cuddled back into the soft embrace of the kind miss who had saved her from all those angry bad wizards who were shouting at her for carrying out master's orders. Nasty master who had then berated her for doing exactly what he had asked, publicly humiliated her and then given her clothes for it. Not that she could really brig herslf to care right now. It had, after all, brought her to the lovely, warm, comforting arms of her sweet and kind new mistress. Winky wondered if she ought to have told kind missy that she had bonded with her but decided that the converstion could probably wait until the morning. It had been a busy night overall and missy needed her sleep. Yes she would tell her in the morning.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	18. Chapter 18

**A quick shout out to Boarador who has just reviewed every single chapter of this story in the last day or so. I would love to list every individual reviewer but I'm going to settle for just saying a huge thanks to all of you. Without you all we would not have got this far.**

 **Now things are going to get a bit AU here for a couple of chapters. My advice is to ride it out and keep the faith and you will be rewarded with the return of a certain bushy haired Gryffindor bookworm.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **18\. Children of the Revolution.**

The last breakfast at Twelve Grimmuald Place before Cassie's departure for Hogwarts was a surprisingly lively affair. Sirius and Remus were trying it to keep it light to mask their dismay at the fact that the young woman who had fast become the centre of their universe was leaving for school this morning. And a bloody dangerous school it was at that. As had become the custom in the last week Kreacher had cooked breakfast for his little mistress while Winky helped her with her ablutions and dressing. He had been more than a bit miffed when the female elf had appeared, already bonded to Cassie, and demanded to take over all of the duties which involved her more personal needs, but had realised something quite quickly. He was now the head house elf of the Noble and Most and Most Ancient House of Black. He had help for his many tasks. He had staff. He didn't even mind serving dog master and the werewolf that much now, although he still kept a close eye on the former marauders, wary of their tricks. Chest swolen with a new found purpose and sense of his own self importance Kreacher seemed to miraculously de-age as he slowly began to exert his rule over the shabby old house and it's equally shabby occupants. They weren't much right now, but it was a start.

The two house elves fussed over and chivied their trio of charges and somehow accomplished the, not inconsiderable, feat of getting them all packed, prepared and out of the door with half an hour to spare. So it was that Messers Lupin and Black found themselves siting in a cafe at Kings Cross, toasting to Cassie's upcoming and hopefully quiet year at Hogwarts with terrible coffee. Not that any of them believed for one second that it would be that quiet.

"Perhaps you've broken your streak love. I mean you went all last year without killing a defence professor, despite him being a bloody know it all werewolf, and other than the rat affair it was pretty tame for you by all accounts."

The ex professor glared at his newly returned best friend for a moment. It seemed that neither Azkaban nor his mother had managed to cure the ridiculous man's total lack of subtlety.

"Can I just say once more how grateful I am that you didn't butcher me with that grim looking scythe thing."

 **No problem Uncle Moony. Can't make any promises for this year though.**

"What do mean Cass?"

 **Just a feeling.**

A feeling. Yeah right. A bad feeling. That was one, extremely understated, way to describe the gnawing ball of tension in the pit of her stomach. Cassie had been growing increasingly more nervous as the summer had wound down and her departure day rapidly approached. She couldn't exactly put her finger on why this should be. It wasn't like she hadn't had dark and dangerous years at school before but this felt different. Oh well, nothing she could do about it now. Cassie was both an Evans and a Black and neither of those famed families were known for running away from a fight, so she would just suck it up and carry on regardless. Whatever this year brought she would face both it and her unknown fears with all of her customary strength and fortitude.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The sandy haired young man held the small girl's hand as they walked through the barrier onto the platform and led her to a quiet corner away from the noise and the crowds. He watched her as her dark, hooded eyes flicked about taking in all the sights, sounds and smells that he remembered so well from his his first time here. Adrian Williams knew that his baby sister was going to have a rough time of it at Hogwarts, what with the blood purists and those who would shun her because she was different. He was afraid for her. Because she was a muggle born. Because she was a loner. Because she was shy and quiet and strange. Putting his fears to the back of his mind for now and being the strong older brother that she needed right now he tested her responses one last time.

"Now then Cerys. What are you going to do if you fall behind in your work?"

"Go to a teacher. Ask for help."

Her monotone was strangely comforting. He would miss it.

"And what are you going to do if someone starts bullying you?"

"Go to a prefect. Ask for help."

The girl's flat response continued.

"And if it continues?"

"Find Cassandra Evans."

He smiled and nodded to her trying to convey all of his love for the girl in his last embrace before she left to board the train. Cerys allowed the contact from her big brother but didn't return his smile. She never did. He didn't care in the least. He knew that she loved him.

"Go on then love. You don't want to miss the train now, do you."

"Goodbye."

Adrian had spent the last two years of his Hogwarts career watching Cassandra Evans protect the younger years against all who would harm them. That girl really hated bullies as she had forcefully demonstrated in her brilliant and brutal defence of the weird Lovegood girl. He hoped that his little sister might find a kindred spirit in the 'girl-who-lived' and also a protector. He hoped that she might finally find someone worthy of her friendship. Of course it didn't hurt that she was Welsh as well. Taffs always stick together. He acknowledged her brief wave with a last smile and turned away to apparate home.

At the other end of the long platform a somewhat similar, though slightly more public, conversation was occurring between one Samuel Jones and his daughter. Having not been born into magic this place was still a bit of a wonder to him and he had taken his time to process it all, staring around like the muggle he was until a wand had poked him hard in the side and caused him to look down with a mock angry expression. It was on occasions like this that the girl reminded him painfully of her mother. Black hair, black humour, black gothic clothes and a black temper. Although it was never directed at him.

"Do try not to get into too much trouble this year Juliet."

"Whatever."

"And if you could be a little nicer to people you might even make a friend or two."

"Yeah, cause _that's_ going to happen."

He tried, unsuccessfully, not to laugh at her snorting, eye rolling, acidic response while noticing that she was trying not to stare as four pretty, older girls swept down the platform towards them. Juliet's eyes seemed to widen comically when the leader of the group appeared to notice them and favoured her with a cool green gaze and the merest twitch of the corner of her lip. He glanced down at his daughter, who was now staring at the floor and blushing furiously. It was the first time that he had ever seen her blush. Oh dear, a crush. Still at least she had good taste. The young woman with the emerald eyes and the snake around her shoulders was absolutely stunning. Perhaps, he wondered, just perhaps this could be the making of the girl.

"Right then, good grades, not too many detentions and home for Christmas. No excuses."

"Whatever. God, chill out dad."

With a dismissive wave in farewell Juliet Jones boarded the plush looking carriage and did her best to ignore him as he blew her kisses and waved her off enthusiastically, knowing that he was only doing it to annoy her. God, parents could be so embarrassing sometimes. She wasn't a _child_ , she was eleven and a half for God's sake. Silly old fool making a scene. She couldn't quite hide her smile at his antics but she did manage to keep back the tears that threatened to spill from her suddenly and inexplicably wet eyes. He might be a silly old fool but she would still miss him.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

There was a stunned silence in the carriage as the latest in a long line of vistors backed, red faced out of the door. He was attempting to be suave but only managed to come off as scared, clumsy and a bit stupid as he almost fell out into the corridor, hitting his head on the way. It was the fifth such interruption and they were barely half an hour into the journey and Cassie's patience, which was not exactly prodigious at the best of times, was wearing very thin indeed.

 **What the bloody hell is going on.**

"We do seem to be rather popular today don't we."

"Well it's not terribly surprising is it."

 **Why not Suze. I don't understand.**

Susan looked at her utterly oblivious girlfriend and wondered how the girl could be so brilliant at magic and at the same time so totally retarded when it came to anything involving the social or political niceties of the wizarding world. I mean, admittedly, she did live with Sirius Black, who Aunt Amelia seemed to regard as some kind of diplomatic moron, but she also shared the house with Walburgia Black and that old girl had been widely held as a political genius. How the hell did that not rub off on someone. Susan tried to erase _that_ disturbing mental image from her brain and was still attempting to formulate her reply when Luna, of all people, beat her to it.

"Let's see. You became the primary heir to a noble and most ancient house and you learned elemental casting in three weeks, which is unheard of by the way. You then attended the Quidditch World Cup where you insulted the Bulgarian minister of magic, stole a house elf from the head of the Ministry's International Co-operation Department, ran around in your underwear and killed two people."

Luna dreamily ticked off these extremely valid points on her fingers as she spoke.

"Plus, you did get Ginny stoned."

The ginger girl gave her a happy grin and a thumbs up.

 **Yes, alright, but nobody knows about that stuff. It's not like it was in the papers or anything.**

"Oh you poor deluded little lamb. _Everybody_ knows. It doesn't have to be in the Daily Prophet for things like this to get about in a community like ours."

Susan patted her scowling girlfriend patronisingly on the head and, movng swiftly to the other side of the compartment only just managing to avoid the kick that was aimed at her shins.

"All these visitors are a direct consequence of your actions this summer."

What do you mean by that.

"Well some will try to get in your favour to enhance their family's standing and others will want to sound you out over possible business relationships or even marriage contracts."

 **But I'm taken.**

Cassie curled her finger around the redheads tie and used the purchase it gave her to pull her in for a quick kiss.

 **By you.**

"Yes _I_ know that but they don't."

 **Oh. Well you'd better get working on that poem then. The sooner you ask me out officially the sooner we can put a stop to all these idiots coming around pretending to make nice.**

This statement by Cassie brought Miss Bones' thought processes to a proverbial abrupt halt as she considered it's meaning carefully. Surely Cassie wasn't suggesting that she should ask her out publicly. That was just madness. One look at the other girl's smirking, but resolved face told her that that was exactly what she was suggesting. Well, not so much suggesting as demandng. Oh dear Merlin, this was going to be an absolute disaster. Of all the ways to come out to the world, this was Susan's worst possible scenario and unfortunately it looked as if Cassie wasn't going to let her off the hook no matter how much she begged or pleaded. Maybe if she offered to do all of her homework for the year she could put it off. Or sex. Yes she could bribe Cassie with sex. Her internal debate on inappropriate ways to avoid the inevtable and her mental panic attack were interrupted by the compartment door opening again. Expecting another pure blood scion she was surprised to be confronted by a tearful first year girl standing in the doorway looking utterly terrified.

The small girl gazed, moist eyed, at the four older witches and gathered her courage in her little, tightly clenched hands. She had clearly interrupted some kind of important business between them and was becoming more and more nervous. No matter, she thought, Treacle needed her to be strong. Strength was something that was highly encouraged in the Rothschild family and Mathilde had been drilled in the use of it from an early age. Interracting with people was not exactly one of her strengths but these girls seemed nice enough, nicer than her own family that was for sure, and she desperately needed their help. Drawing a deep breath she dared to raise her voice. Instead of the confident, clear diction that she was used to and had hoped for her words tumbled out in a stuttering hitching wail.

"I ... I lost my cat ... can ... can you help me ... please."

The chorus of awwww's from three of the cabin's occupants was somewhat encouraging but she was a bit perplexed by the silent green eyed girl in the corner just sitting and staring at her. Not that she looked unfriendly exactly but it was just a bit creepy and offputting how she just peered over rimless glasses and didn't make a single sound. The ginger girl with the freckles was the first to offer a comment on her situation.

"Did you want us to find a prefect to help you, cutie?"

"N ... no. I ... I already found one and ... they ... told me they were too ... busy to go looking ... for ... for lost ... cats."

As she finished up her answer in a hesitant rush of words and half stifled tears the girl noticed that the green eyed witch's jaw was set in a hard line and her hands were moving rapidly around in twitching gestures. Her friends seemed to be responding carefully, trying to calm her down perhaps, and still the now angry looking girl said not a word. Sending the book bag flying off of her lap she suddenly stood up and stomped out of the cabin with a grim, forbidding expression on her face.

"Cass, you can't just go and search everyone on the train."

There was a loud bang as the departing girl slammed her fist into the woodwork, leaving a good sized hole, on her way out.

"Or maybe you can."

The tall redhead spoke the last quietly before turning to the wide eyed first year with a look of compassion and indicated the seat that the angry girl had just vacated.

"Why don't you sit down and wait with us. She won't take long, I suspect."

She sat perched on the edge of the seat and as far away from the abandoned book bag as possible. She didn't want to be accused of messing with this scary Cass girl's posessions while she was gone. Glancing up she found her gaze captured by the peculiar, dreamy blonde sat opposite her petting a large snake that she had somehow failed to notice before now.

"Don't worry. Cassie's very good at finding things that don't want to be found. She's quite persuasive when she wants to be. I'm Luna, by the way, and this is Shortcake. Hello."

The snake raised it's head and peered at her inquisitively flicking out it's forked tongue. Oh my God. Luna. As in Lovegood. Green eyes. A snake. Which made the other two girls Bones and Weasley. The small girl swalowed a little yelp as she finally realised just whose cabin it was that she had crashed and who that made the furious witch currently stalking up and down the express looking for her cat. She had just introduced herself in the most embarrassing way possible to her idol. Cassandra Evans, the 'girl-who-lived', saviour of the wizarding world. Her parents would be extremely disappointed in her. No matter what the situation, a Rothschild _always_ kept their cool. A tiny 'eeep' escaped her fear frozen lips. The youngest Weasley gave her an evil grin that was far from comforting.

"Ah, caught on have you. Yes well don't fret she's a lot less scary than she looks. Most of the time anyway."

In the twenty or so minutes that passed before Cassie's return Mathilde had, at last, located her manners and made polite introductions to her smiling, helpfull hosts. Luna and Ginny were nice to her and she was quite shocked to find that Susan was quite the joker which, considering her Aunts's formidable reputation, she had not expected at all. She was still a touch wary though reminding herself that even her haughty and condescending parents didn't attempt to upset the head of the DMLE. The lesson had apparently been learned early and well. You don't mess with a Bones. Mathilde didn't kow it yet but this attitude would stand her in very good stead for the next four years of her schooling. She caught a flash of movement from the entrance in her peripheral vision and heard a soft, muted mewling. She turned and was greeted by the sight of her little cat Treacle raising his head from out of the crook of Cassandra Evans' neck where he was securely snuggled and giving her a self satisfed look, like he was the smartest feline alive.

The rest of the journey passed in a daze for Mathilde, sat next to her new heroine as they read together from her copy of _Hogwarts' A History_ and occasionally glancing at the beautiful Black heiress. All her hopes for this year were being realised much faster than she thought would happen. Out of the hell hole that was Rothschild Manor, away from her overbearing parents and the hated family legacy and with the warm comforting feeling of being with people who actually seemed to like her, for once. Treacle leapt onto the open book and batted playfully at the python's hanging tail, earning a hiss from him and a huffing laugh from Cassandra. She giggled at them and pulled the cat into her lap before smiling up at the older girl and continuing to read. Things finally seemed to be looking up for her.

 _"Soft kitty, warm kitty Little ball of fur._

 _Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr, purr, purr."_

Cassie smiled warmly at the sweet little girl's soft singing to her cat as she continued to read while never once pausing in her stroking of the near catatonically happy feline. She put a protective arm aroud the small first year and allowed herself to remember another train ride when she and a similarly wild haired young witch had read this very book together. She was distracted from her thoughts by Susan leaning over to squeeze her hand and kiss her softly on the neck as a reward for being so sweet with their little visitor.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

There was consternation on the faces of both students and staff when they all arrived in the Hogwarts great hall that evening. The house tables were all there, adorned in their colours of green, red, blue and yellow but there in the centre of the large spacious hall a fifth table had appeared. Decorated in black its banner fluttered proudly above it. A basilisk coiled around a ligtning bolt picked out in silver and sandwiched by the letters P and F in a flowing, gothic script on its field of deep sable. The headmaster was desparately trying to hide the utter fury that was consuming him behind his usual twinkly eyed mask. Hogwarts had a fifth House. Evans and her Psycho Freak friends were now recognised by the founders themselves as a permanent and legitimate fixture of the thousand year old castle. He didn't know what this meant for the sorting and if the hat would recognise this new house or it's it's status, but if it did (and it was very likely) then it was quite conceivable some first years may be put there. As well as his new transfer student. What an absolute disaster that would be. Hogwarts was being subjected to a hostile takeover by the dregs of the wizarding world and all that would be remembered was that he, Albus Dumbledore, had been the sitting headmaster presiding over the whole damned mess.

He watched as the black robed freak show got comfortable at their new table and broke the stunned silence in the hall by immediately starting to chatter and joke and laugh with one another. Slowly the noise level began to rise as the other houses gawked at them and the whispering, wondering gossip started to fly only to cease again when his deputy called for silence and the sorting began. Most of his attention on his emerald eyed nemesis, Dumbledore kept half an ear trained on the hat and it's litany of shouts. To his credit he only flinched twice but both times he seethed at the grinning reaction that this involuntary action elicited from the Evans girl. He glanced over as the final first year was called up.

"Cerys Williams."

An all too brief pause as the small brunette uneasily covered the short distance to the stool and disappeared beneath the musty, raggedy ancient hat, and then the (supposedly) final shout of the night went out into the hall.

"Psycho Freak."

She sat on the low stool not moving. Shocked face betraying the Hope that her ears had deceived her or that the smelly old headwear had made a terrible mistake that would be immediately rectified. Cerys understood the precarious position that she was in only too well. As much as her brother had told her that she could go to Cassandra Evans if she were in trouble, she was all too aware that being associated too closely with her could bring it's own problems. And you couldn't get much closer than being in the same house with her. The name didn't exactly help either. Pcycho Freak. Brilliant. Just brilliant.

At last the sorting was done. It could have been worse. Only three of the new intake had been called for the weirdos house. Three students who thoroughly deserved to be there if he was any judge. Strange, pale, insecure loners. Jones and Williams were no great loss but the third one. That one had hurt. The Rothschild girl. As a Gryffindor she could have been a magnificent asset for his future political career but now she was lost to him. All of her influence and with it her family's would go to the damned Blacks. Of course those same Blacks would need to be alive to exert that influence and his plans for the coming years made that a highly unlikely occurence. Still it was a major inconvenience. His face twitched as he struggled to contain his anger behind the cool, stoic mask. It lessened a touch when he thought of how his next action would wipe that smug grin off of the nasty little half blood's face.

Albus Dumbledore tried and failed to hide his broad smile as he stood to reveal his grand surprise. Both of them actually. The Tri-Wizard Tournament would be an amazing and popular event for the school and most, if not all, of the students would love him for it. First, however, he had some business to take care of with the new Black heiress. He was hoping that his trick would knock the damned girl sideways before he finished her off with the contest.

"Before our usual beginning of term announcements I would like to ask your patience while we sort one final student. This young lady has spent the last few years being home schooled abroad and I trust that you will all give her all of the friendship and respect that she deserves as she joins our current fourth years."

He gestured to a slim, plain looking girl with shoulder length, messy black hair and bright blue eyes who appeared from a side chamber in the company of Hagrid.

"Come along my dear. Don't be nervous."

The headmaster was honestly a little concerned about this sorting after having seen the unexpected creation of a fifth house at his school by the very artefact that he was now trusting with his newest scheme. He did not let his fear show, however, and plunged on with his plan to unsettle and alienate the Evans girl further, this time using the the very thing she valued most against her. Family. Watching the green eyed little monster closely for any reaction she might have, he grinned at her with twinkling eyes and read out the last name on his list.

"Charlotte Dawn Potter."

The only sound that echoed throughout the great hall athis words was a sharp crack as Cassandra Evans-Black suddenly tensed and snapped her fork in half. She turned and passed fleetingly over the grinning face of the manipulative old headmaster to stare right into the ice blue eyes of the girl who carried her biological father's surname. The name, the nose, the hair. There was no mistaking the family resemblence. Cassie reached blindly into her book bag, feeling for quill and parchment as she continued to watch the young woman walking nervously to the stool. She was going to give Padfoot and Moony a proverbial rocket for keeping this little secret from her. They should have known better than to try and hide the existance of family from her. Especially her sister.

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 **Sorry, couldn't resist putting a chorus of 'soft kitty' in there. I've been known to sing it to my own cat from time to time (every night). The sainted Doctor Sheldon Cooper has been responsble for my embarrassment on more than one occasion when I have been caught doing it.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	19. Chapter 19

**Now I realise that I left things on somewhat of a cliffhanger last chapter so I thought that I'd better get this next one up a bit quickly. Before you all lynched me.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **19\. Wishing and Hoping and Thinking and Praying.**

Charlotte Dawn Potter walked steadily, but nervously, to the stool containing the sorting hat, each one of her footsteps echoing in the totally silent great hall. On reaching her destination she turned to face outwards and was greeted by the unexpected sight of everyone watching, not her as she had imagined would be the case, but the black robed girl at the centre table. The girl with the emerald green eyes and the red tipped, coal black hair who alone in this sea of young people was the only one to be looking at her. Right at her. Directly into her eyes. In that moment time seemed to stop while they stared at each other and it was as if the whole world consisted of only the two of them. Charlotte had expected to see jealousy, condescension, hatred and maybe even malice reflected in the other girl's cool gaze but all she noticed was shock, surprise, confusion and, most surprisingly, compassion and ... hope. There was no way that kind of reaction could be faked. It was instantaneous and it was real. She didn't know about her. Had clearly never known about her. It dawned on her that Cassandra Evans might not be the evil and manipulative harpy that her mother and her new headmaster had made her out to be.

Growing up in Ireland with her maternal grandparents and her mum, Charlotte had been fed from a very young age with tales of the great deeds of the mighty McKinnons. It was just as hard to escape the stories of her father's heroism in the fight against 'he who must not be named', the last stand of the Potters being regarded by her grand father as a worthy tale of sacrifice. The one thing that was not discussed, however, was the name of Evans. She was ten years old before she had even heard of the 'girl who lived' let alone that she had a bastard, half blood, half sister. _That_ had been an interesting conversation. As far as she had known Lily Evans had been a heartless home wrecker and her daughter was a spoiled little princess with delusions of grandeur and no regard for anyone else. Upon over hearing some of the conversations of the portraits while waiting in the headmaster's office for her sorting, she had discovered that Cassandra's life had not exactly been the bed of roses that she had been led to believe it was. If only a fraction of what she had heard was true then it was a miracle that Cassandra hadn't gone off her head and on a revenge fuelled, country wide killing spree. As the brim of the hat descended over her eyes, cutting off her view of her half sister Charlotte's nerves turned to anger.

 _"Easy there young lady."_

 _"What the ..."_

 _"I'm the sorting hat dear, to answer your question."_

 _"But I didn't ask a question."_

 _"Didn't you?"_

 _"Ah, so you can read my mind."_

 _"Not as quick as your sister, but then so few are unfortunately. Sharp enough though."_

Charlotte quickly realised that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to talk to a thousand year old artefact that had a true and unique insight into her estranged sibling's mind. Her mood shifted instantly from angry to curious. It was blunted rather fast, leaving only frustration and more questions in it's place.

 _"Before you ask, I can't reveal her secrets."_

 _"Oh. Can you at least tell me what she's like?"_

 _"Hmmmm. I believe the word Fawkes uses is ... entertaining. I think I would agree with that assessment. Now then, shall we get down to business?"_

 _"What business?"_

 _"Well I have to sort you into your new house. Let's see ... you're smart, but probably not smart enough for Rowena's house, you've got virtually no ambition other than to live quietly and well so not Slytherin, Hufflepuff is an option, perhaps, then again you're not much for company are you. As much as I'd love to put you with your interesting sister you're simply not damaged enough for the Psycho Freaks. Oh well, better be ... "_

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The thunderous applause assaulted her ears as she was directed by deputy headmistress MacGonagal to a table on the far left hand side of the hall. She moved past the suddenly open spaces next to hopeful looking faces and sat herself down next to a shortish, pretty witch of around her age who had the wildest mane of chestnut hair that she had ever seen.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Hermione Granger's heart was breaking all over again as she watched this drama unfold. It just wasn't fair that someone like Cassie, who had fought and struggled so hard for the few family and friends that she had should have to go through this. The bushy haired reading machine had spent her summer alone, re-examining her relationships with both her peers and her headmaster and had come to some life changing conclusions. Her house mates, while initially sympathetic, now treated her as a handy tool to be used when help with class work was required before being put away in the corner and nothing more. They certainly weren't the great friends that she had hoped and longed for. As for the headmaster, well no amount of twinkly eyed smiles could excuse the fact that he had obviously been instrumental in Cassie's terrible treatment at this school. She had only ever had one friend and she had allowed her fear of being alone and her insecurities to drive the girl away. More than anything she wished for that close, happy feeling back, but the obstacles in the way of her achieving this seemed almost close to insurmountable. She watched the gorgeous, intelligent, driven, green eyed girl and sighed thinking of the enormity of the task ahead of her. Cassie did not trust easily and for Hermione to regain that trust would take something bloody spectacular on her part. Very bloody spectacular and very bloody public. Morgana's saggy tits this was going to take some serious thought.

Hermione was so focused on the furiously scribbling form of first ever friend at the centre of the great hall that she entirely failed to notice the applause erupt around her as a similarly black haired young woman sat down next to her on her right. Charlotte noticed where the other witch's longing gaze was directed and, taking her courage in her hands, spoke her very first words at Hogwart's.

"She's very beautiful isn't she?"

"God yes."

She smiled sympathetically as the bushy haired girl slapped her hand over her own mouth and turned to face her with wide eyes and blushing cheeks while emitting a small muffled 'meep' sound. She held out her hand.

"Hi. I'm Charlotte. Um ... are you okay?"

Hermione Granger was very bloody far from okay. Already pale and sweating, she began to shake with embarrassment. She tried desperately to focus on anything other than the fact that she had just inadvertantly revealed her deepest, darkest secret crush to the new transfer student. Who just happened to be that same crush's sister. Oh God. Cassie's bloody _sister_. Nononono. This was _so_ bad. She lost control and began to hyperventilate.

Charlotte's hand automatically moved to her back and she began to move her palm in small, soothing circles between the distraught young woman's shoulder blades. The other girl clung to her with a death grip as she attempted to calm her down, luxuriating in the feel of the bushy hair tickling her neck and the pleasing aroma of vanilla and ink. Her stomach did a funny little flip flop and she felt the all too familiar sting of Cupid's arrow pierce her heart as she held the strange girl in her arms. Oh dear. That was a bit inconvenient. She hadn't been here five minutes and Charlotte was already crushing on the girl who was clearly crushing on her sister, who she hadn't even actually properly met yet. Yeah, let's count the ways that _this_ could go wrong. She felt the girl pull away and gather herself together before she melted at the sweet, emotion filled voice that finally replied to her introduction.

"I ... I'm Hermione. Sorry about that. I can be a bit of a spaz sometimes."

A rude red headed boy snorted from across the table spitting out pieces of food into the space between them.

"A bit?"

He gave a smarmy, crumb ridden sneer as he held out his hand.

"My name's Ron Weas ... "

"Yeah I don't care."

Charlotte's hard Irish lilt cut through him like a hot knife through butter as she ignored his outstretched hand and pulled Hermione back into her side, placing a protective and comforting arm around the girl's waist. She sneaked a quick, guilty kiss on to the wild mane of hair and tightened her hold. Nobody spoke to _her_ girl like that. Realising how crazy and stalkerish that sounded, even to herself, Charlotte relaxed her grip a little and settled for just holding the flabbergasted Hermione's hand while they listened to the headmaster's start of year speech.

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Albus Dumbledore sat back in his throne at the top table and wondered to himself whether or not he could call tonight a success. It had started off appallingly with the whole 'fifth house' fiasco and had only got worse with the loss of three first years including the vaunted Rothschild girl to the cursed Psycho Freaks. If it hadn't been for the look on Evans' face when he had introduced her sister to Hogwarts he would have been furious by that point. Then of course the scabby old hat had actually kept to his word and placed the Potter girl into the house that the headmaster had chosen for her. It would have been most satisfying if her first actions on arriving at the Gryffindor table hadn't been to talk with, cuddle and then protect that hateful little mudblood know it all, Granger. Quite what both of James Potter's daughters found so fascinating about the nasty, wild haired, muggle born skank he had no idea. Now he was going to have to find a way to prise her off of yet another black haired witch and sadly he didn't have access to a troll this year. Although a moronic Weasley might work just as well.

He had managed to get through his start of year speech without any major disasters but he hadn't been able to take the much anticipated pleasure in the Evans bitch's reaction to his news about the Tri Wizard Tournament. This was mainly due to the fact that she didn't appear to be paying attention to what was being said, choosing to scribble on her parchment instead, while her sister continued to coo over that wretched mudblood. Dumbledore was more than a bit upset to have gone to all this trouble to annoy them only to end up being ignored. At least by them anyway. He had seen Amelia Bones' niece shake her head and then thump it hard on the table at his announcement of the age line protections on the goblet of fire. She was probably assuming, rightly as it happened, that Cassandra Evans-Black's name would still end up being entered and selected. It definitely would, even if he had to do do it himself. Barty Crouch junior wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed and he would be genuinely amazed if the death eater impersonating Alastor didn't manage to screw it up somehow.

The headmaster was beginning to respect old Tommy boy a touch more now. It was absolutely bloody exhausting having to rely on half witted minions to do the leg work while one was forced to sit back and watch them balls up your careful plans. Well that wouldn't be happening with this particular plan. Evans' name was coming out of that goblet even if he had to bribe half of the Wizangamot to make it happen. For the first time that evening a real and genuine smile passed his cracked old lips. Make a fool out of me will you, you little bitch, with your fifth damned house nonsense. I'll see you served up to Voldemort on a silver bloody platter.

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The occupants of the Psycho Freak table felt as if they were walking on eggshells at the moment. Figuratively speaking anyway as all six of them were currently sat on their bench seats watching Cassie write like a woman posessed, which was remarkable really as she had never seemed to quite get the hang of quills before. It looked to Susan as if her passion and rage had given her the impetus that she needed to finally master the art. The red head risked a quick peek over her girlfriend's shoulder so that she could get a better idea of who she was writing to and why.

 _ **Padfoot, you are an arse. When I get home I'm going to have Kreacher hold you down and I'm going to kick you and Moony right in the balls. Then I'm going to take my scythe to them and put them in a jar on the mantle piece. After that I'll take them out of the jar and throw them in the cocking fire, so you'd best use those 'nads while you still can dickheads. How bloody DARE you keep something like this from me your pair of utter fuc ...**_

And that was enough for Susan to understand. Whatever her anger had done for Cassie's quillwork it had obviously not improved her rather fruity vocabulary any but she could, at least, understand her feelings of betrayal. She was right. How could the idiots fail to tell her that she had a sister. They _knew_ how she felt about family and to hold out on her like that was simply unforgiveable. Susan stopped short. They _knew_ how Cassie felt about family. They _knew_ that not telling her something like this would hurt Cassie. And they adored her. There was no way on Merlin's green earth that Sirius would intentionally cause his newly adopted daughter pain. No way. Unless he had forgotten. Or been made to forget. She slowly turned her gaze on headmaster Dumbledore and favoured the old meddler with a look that would have impressed a basilisk. Or her Auntie. She was aware that loyalty potions and obliviations were among Dumbledore's most frequently used tools in his extensive arsenal of magic and she was also aware that he wasn't above using them on anyone who dared to question him. This was just the kind of thing that he would do. He had done it to her and to Luna as well as to most of the students here at Hogwarts. Hell, he had even obliviated professor MacGonnagal and she was as scary as Cassie. Well. Almost as scary as Cassie.

As Dumbledore began his speech Susan decided that she really needed to listen to what the headmaster was saying this year so that she could be at least a little prepared for whatever he was going to throw at them this year. The rest of the table, apart from Cassie, plainly agreed as they all stopped talking at once and paid rapt attention to the man at the podium. After a few minutes he got to the part that she had been waiting for. The dangerous part. It seemed that the the old man had really outdone himself this year. The Tri Wizard Tournament. Yeah there was no way that Cassie wasn't going to be forced into competing. Age line or not. Taking her shaking head from between her hands Susan banged her forehead repeatedly on the table. Didn't he know how high the death toll of this thing was? What was she thinking? Of course he knew. Damn the old git. She thought of disturbing Cassie with the news but one look at her girlfriend's face, set in grim concentration, decided her against it. She was happy in her anger. Let her be for now, they could talk about it later.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

What the bloody hell was the beardy old coot playing at now? A Tri Wizard Tournament meant Ministry involvement, with the Department of International Co-operation no less, and a bevvy of hard to please visitors stomping around the castle. Already less than pleased with the headmaster's first little surprise, Minerva MacGonnagal was now grumbling at the massive increase in her workload that this latest stunt would cause. Durmstrang and Beaubaxton's. He just had to pick those two didn't he. The two continental schools had a rivalry that made World War Two look like a small scale lover's tiff. It meant work, which she didn't mind too much, and diplomacy, which she did mind a great deal, and to top it all off there was the ever present danger of a student's death and/or dismemberment. Really what posessed the old man to ... ohhhhh. Of course. Miss Evans. Or Miss Evans-Black as she now was. In all likelyhood this was all part of some grand plan of his to get at and humiliate the girl. she didn't undertand what his problem with her was but she would be damned if she was going to let an underage student participate in this bloody charade just so some bitter old git could get his jollies off.

Minerva would admit that the Black heiress probably hadn't helped the situation with all the chaos that she seemed to surround herself with. The Psycho Freak house had started off as one of her little jokes, albeit one in extremely poor taste, and appeared to have escalated into something that had changed the very fabric of Hogwarts. That kind of thing tended to happen a lot around her. The deputy head could only wonder how she was going to make everyone's life more hellish if she were to actually get entered into this contest. Well, that and the fact that her half sister was now suddenly here to distract her. Oh right. Distraction and intimidation. This had the stink of Albus all over it. She rolled her eyes at Severus' raised eyebrow and mouthed the word 'later' to him. Next she looked over at Filius and he answered her subtle nod with one of his own. The Albus Dumbledore Retirement Comittee would be having their first of, what was sure to be, many, many meetings tonight.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Watching closely from behind her rose coloured lenses as the girl walked across the stage towards the sorting hat Cassie had no doubt that she was actually her sister. Well, half sister. Their similar features provided by the Potter genes were a good indication alright but what really had her convinced was the nasty smile on that sly old bugger, Dumbledore's face. The fact that he had planned this horrid prank on her was pushed to the back of Cassie's mind as she reflected on the much more pressing, to her, matter of her new family member. The poor thing looked so nervous that it took all of her considerable will power not to leap from her seat, rush up to the stage and wrap Charlotte up in a huge, protective hug. Only the knowledge that this action could be possibly misconstrued as an attempted assault and she could end up scaring the girl even further, stopped her. Instead she locked eyes with her, now seated, sister and felt her jaw drop at the intensity of their two way, curious gaze.

Realising that she probably looked like a complete idiot staring at her sister with her mouth open, Cassie shut her teeth tightly together and sparing not one single glance for the staring mass of students, set her jaw to begin her letter to the gits. Her unfamiliar quill pen spewed forth the threats and insults to the two forty year old juvenile delinquents as if it were on autopilot, while her mind raced at a hundred miles an hour with thoughts of how and why they had kept this from her. Various scenarios whirled through her brain. James Potter had made them swear some kind of magical oath was one, her mother had threatened to hex them from her grave if they told was another, less likely, option. Her favourite was that they both had some kind of sexually transmitted, memory eating brain disease. Eventually, however, Cassie came around to the same conclusion that Susan did. They had been obliviated. To be honest it was the only thing that would have saved Sirius and Remus from losing important appendages. She ground her teeth and snapped her quill in half as the name of the only possible candidate for this action seeped into her furious mind. Albus sodding Dumbledore. Bastard. Bastard, bastard, _bastard_. She was going to take great pleasure in carving the manipulative old tosser into very, very small pieces.

That would have to wait for now though as she re-read the letter to her guardians with a slightly clearer mind and decided that she would leave the threats in as some of them were truly inspired. The boys (she couldn't bring herself to think of the incorrigible reprobates as men) would certainly enjoy them. Eventually. When they thought she had calmed down a bit, anyway. Cassie relaxed, patted Suzie on the hand to let her know that everything was okay and grabbed a fresh quill to add a post script to her letter.

 _ **P.S. If you go to a mind healer and find out that you've been memory charmed by a certain educational authority figure I may be convinced not to relieve you of any body parts that I deem un-necessary to your survival. Let's hope, for your sakes that this is the case. If it isn't you may want to run very far away.**_

 _ **Your loving daughter/niece/nemesis**_

 _ **Cassie. xoxoxo**_

By the time this piece of family business was taken care of the feast was over and it was time to get their sleepy new house mates to their new living quarters. Cassie picked up the small, exhausted, slumbering form of Mathilde in her arms and led the small parade of black robed witches home to Psycho Freak tower. It was going to be cramped tonight but a more permanent solution to the sleeping arrangements could be sorted out tomorrow. For tonight the older girls would double up. She would put good money on the fact that her girlfriend had already figured this out and was currently wearing a big, goofy grin on her normally serious face. She snorted quietly in amusement that her 'red headed strumpet' would be very pleased about this indeed.

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 **A slightly shorter chapter today but I wanted to keep this one all about the major player's reactions to Charlotte's appearance and the TWT.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	20. Chapter 20

**So there has been some concern expressed at the speed of Charlotte's romantic reaction to Hermione. I'm not going to spoil it for you but suffice it to say that in her own way Charlotte is just as much of a socially retarded loony tune as her half sister. As you will soon discover.**

 **By the way this may seem like the Charlotte and Hermione show at the moment but it won't last forever. This is Cassie's story and will always remain so.**

 **Everybody happy? Super. On we go then.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **20\. It's a Family Affair.**

The first rays of the dawn light were peeking through the bedroom window in the Psycho Freak tower, rousing a sleepy blonde from her snorkack filled dreams. Something was very different this morning. Perhaps it was the extra down that Cassie had pumped into their pillows last niight or perhaps it was just the fact that for the first time in over a year she had got to share her bed with her oldest and best friend. Her warm, snuggly, cuddly, ginger best friend. Luna stroked Ginny's silky hair and looked over to meet the eye of Susan who was busy with her own soft minstrations to her slumbering bed mate. The older red head was lazilly tracing the outline of Cassie's back tattoo of the terrifying dark angel and seemed to be finding endless fascination in making the magical inking smirk and giggle with her finger.

After last night's meltdown by their black haired friend she could hardly blame Susan for making the most of her quality, quiet time wtih her girlfriend. Cassie had not taken the news of either her sister's existence nor this damned silly tournament very well and she had let her feelings out with her usual outlet of large scale destruction. At least she had waited until the new firsties were all safely in bed before she had climbed out on to the roof and started casting violent elemental spells to ease her frustration. Luna thought that the sight of the wild eyed girl calling down lightning from a cloudless sky would live with her till her dying day. There was just something so powerful and primal about it that it reminded her of her mother's adventure tales of the leaders of the ancient British covens. She was going to write to daddy this very morning for her painting things to be sent so that she could capture the image for posterity.

The odd blonde girl stopped her hair stroking for a moment to give Susan a little wave from her bed before curling back into her cuddly friend and closing her eyes for another forty minutes or so of sleep. This time Luna dreamed of a powerful, green eyed witch with long, wild black hair whipping around her lean body and wielding the power of the earth itself through a long gnarled staff gripped in her pale, slender hand. The smile on her sleeping face was one of pure bliss.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

At Five Thirty on Monday morning Charlotte stumbled wearilly into the bathroom of her shared dormitory and rubbed her bleary eyes in an attempt to wipe away the sleep crusties that had accumulated overnight. Stepping further in her half awake ears failed to even register the sounds of the running water until she was right in front of the open shower and staring directly at the deliciously soapy back of a very naked Hermione Granger. Wow. That dull grey school uniform really didn't do this fine specimen of young womanhood any favours at all and Charlotte had thought that she was beautifull last night. But this. Hubba hubba. To her intense and lasting gratitude the other girl didn't notice her as she appeared to be quite caught up in whatever activity it was that she was do ... Oh my. She should leave. Like right now. Try as she might her treacherous feet seemed to be incapable of responding in the manner in which her brain was quite forcibly telling them to. A muffled mewling sound escaped the bushy haired girl's lips and the scent of her arousal hit Charlotte like a sledgehammer. She inhaled deeply. Yeah this was getting really creepy now. She finally forced herself to take a step backwards. Then another. Her pride and relief in her mental victory were short lived as she stepped on something slippery and felt herself falling uncontrollably backwards through the air to a hard and ignominious landing on the solid tiled floor.

As she drifted off into unconsciousness Charlotte's mind replayed her many and varied fantasies involving naked girls in bathrooms, none of which had ended up with her getting knocked out. Pushed roughly against the wall and ravaged, sure but never actually knocked out. She was such a freaking pervert. A fact that she had been relayed to her more than once by her relatives. The first time was after her mother had unexpectedly come home last year and caught her 'playing doctor' with her older female cousin in the library. That had prompted some awkward conversation and a thorough search of her bedroom which had led to the mortifying discovery of her extensive stash of 'Witches in Heat' magazines in her underwear drawer. The cousin who Charlotte had insisted was her one and only true love had been shipped off to boarding school and she had been closely watched ever since. That hadn't stopped her from later falling in love with the local baker's daughter or, more disturbingly, her thirty five year old aunt. It was probably this last one that had finally decided her guardians to send the last remaining Potter and disgrace to the family off to Hogwarts with Dumbledore.

Coming slowly back around a few minutes later Charlotte's eyes fluttered open to be greeted with the view of a wide expanse of wet, lightly tanned skin that her cheek was pressed tightly into. When the rise and fall of that skin and the tantalising view of the top of a pinkish brown aeriola indicated her new position she almost passed out again. Raising her head, slowly and rather reluctantly, a pair of chocolate brown eyes swimming with real concern met her own baby blues.

"Oh thank Merlin you're awake."

"You're all wet."

Smooooth Potter. What a dweeb. Apparently Hermione didn't mind her complete lack of something sensible or witty to say as she simply giggled and gave a cute little snort before answering.

"Well that makes two of us then."

She wondered briefly if her fellow Gryffindor was torturing her on purpose before totally dismissing the idea as absurd in the extreme. The sweet and wonderful Hermione Granger would never and could never be that mean. She was perfect. She was Charlotte's one true love. Hermione made her cousin Laura, Jenny the baker's daughter and Auntie Marlene pale and uninteresting by comparison, after all it was only common sense that you would have to kiss a lot of frogs before you found your princess. The deluded and still woozy young woman was in a daze as she was stripped, washed, dried off and re-dressed by a firm and businesslike Hermione and thus totally missed the blushes that peppered the bushy haired witch's cheeks every now and again. She did, however, notice the fact that they held hands for the entire length of the journey to the great hall for their breakfast. Maybe her pervy inclinations weren't so bad after all.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

It was with all of their customary effort that the girls of Psycho Freak house brought to desperately trying to cheer up Cassie, if only for a little while, but it seemed to be an impossible task this morning. Odd statements about imaginary animals from Luna, smutty innuendos from Ginny, Susan's steady hand on hers beneath the table , even Shortcake joined in with an account of him attempting to teach Mathilde's tiny cat how to catch mice. None of it worked. They weren't overly concerned as they knew Cassie would get over it soon enough but that didn't stop them in their desire to make her smile at least once before classes, and so the noise and the insanity continued.

A shadow fell over the table and the deep, contralto voice of Aurora Sinistra brought the festivities to an end.

Alright my dears but do you think you could settle down now so that I can hand out your class schedules."

"Are you going to be our House head?"

"Yes the headmaster asked me last night after the feast and if you ladies agree I think that we might suit each other rather well."

"Yes!"

Luna Lovegood punched the air in ecstacy. She totally loved astronomy, with all of it's charts, funny brass instruments and cool telescopes and the dark skinned professor was one of her absolute favourites, only magical creatures holding a higher place in her estimation. It was a shame that they couldn't have had Hagrid as their House head but she understood that looking after a tower full of young witches was probably a little out of his comfort zone. Plus he wouldn't exactly fit in their tower very well. No, professor Sinistra was a very good choice indeed. The little blonde grinned happily at her house mates and cheerfully spent the rest of her breakfast telling them all about how wonderfull it would be having the Astronomy teacher as the mentor for their new house. The older girls all smiled indulgently and let their amusing friend chatter away until it was time to head to class.

Susan held them all back for a moment and addressed their first year contigent, calmly and seriously.

"Okay then girls I know that you're all nervous about your first classes but just remember. We are the Freaks. Being on the edges is not a new thing for any of us. That being said if anybody is mean to you or tries to bully you then you come immediately to myself or Cassie."

Juliet, Mathilde and Cerys gave a wide eyed glance at the black haired girl with the amazing green eyes who just gave them a shy smile and a small wave, while playing with carving knife. The three youngest members of the house unconsciously shared the thought that being shunned and ridiculed by the entire school was a small price to pay if it earned them regular smiles like that from their own personal, protective goddess. For the first time that morning Cassandra Evans-Black had cracked an actual factual smile and they were the reason. The first years were very proud of themselves.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Severus Snape watched carefully from behind his desk as the fourth year students filed into the dungeons for their first potions lesson of the year. He strategically kept his gaze on the doorway to avoid the smirk that knew would be plastered all over the face of his (secretly) favourite pupil and was less than amused to find himself locking eyes with the hated James Potter's other daughter. His good mood sucessfully extinguished the potions master banged is chair back into the wall as he rose and gave the entire class a disdainful look.

"After last year's pitiful efforts by this sorry excuse for a class, I have decided to make some changes in the seating arrangements. Ah ah ah. Not you Evans. I want you where I can keep an eye on you."

There was a great deal of eye rolling and surrupticious, exasperated huffing as professor made his new dispositions. Malfoy and Weasley, Brown and Greengrass, Goyle and Longbottom, that one was a disaster waiting to happen if anything was, still with any luck they would blow themselves up fairly quickly and he could be rid of them for a good few weeks. Dangerous bloody morons. He finished by amusing himself with pairing up Granger and Bones which left only one person without a seat.

"Ah yes, Potter. Up here in front with Evans I think. We may as well have all the rotten apples in one basket as it were."

 **You're such a dick.**

"I'm sorry did you say something Evans?"

Charlotte arrived just in time to see her half sister give the greasy haired man an innocent shake of the head while pointing at her own chest. Her eyes were so comically and impressively wide in their expression of denial that she couldn't help but give a small giggle at her antics. This turned out to be not such a great idea.

"Most amusing I'm sure. Detention for the two of you, ladies."

He smirked nastilly at them and added.

"Congratulations Evans I believe that this one takes you past the Weasley Twins record. Oh and Potter, don't imagine for one second that I haven't made a special note of _your_ disruptive influence on my classroom."

Three desks further back in the room Hermione and Susan gave two identical and exasperated shakes of their heads. Honestly Cassie had been in class for less than a minute and she had already got her first detention and bearing in mind that she would be sharing it with her sister, Susan doubted that it would be like most of the 'punishments' Snape gave her. She watched as her trouble magnet girlfriend nudged the black haired girl next to her and flounced around making silly faces behind the professor's back as she gathered their ingredients for todays brew. This earned her another giggly, musical laugh from Charlotte and another detention for the pair from an increasingly grumpy Snape. She was glad, this class always cheered Cass up if she was feeling down and she seemed to be getting on with her sister okay. Early days but still. Progress. That progress was marked by loud bang and more giggling form up front. Susan smirked at her Gryffindor lab partner before they both turned away to cover and stifle their own laughter.

Cassie on her own was a handfull for a variety of reasons not least of which was her uncanny knack of turning from the sweet, mischievous and playful girl that was currently being displayed into a blood drenched killing machine in the blink of an eye. She didn't go looking for trouble but if you brought it to her door you'd best be at peace with your gods because if you started something she would damn well finish it. In steel and fire and blood. But what _really_ pissed her off was if you threatened her family. A family that now looked to be gaining a new member. The tentative friendship that she could see blossoming between the half sisters at the front of the cold, dank dungeon classroom was giving her hope of a normal future for her beloved Black heiress.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The rest of the days classes went considerably better for the new Gryffindor. She was interested to note that all but one of her lessons was shared with the two Psycho Freak girls as they seemed to be on nearly the same schedule as them. Charms had been fun as the excitable little professor Flitwick had been showing them freezing charms on goblets full of water and become quite flustered when she did it on her first try, something that even Hermione hadn't managed. He had quickly gone from excited to nervous and tense, however, when he spotted Cassandra's easy and completely unmatched mastery of the medium. She had watched his reaction as the silent girl wandlessly manipulated the water into different shapes and held it place with one hand before freezing it solid with the other, all witha kind of bored indifference. She was no great artist apparently but she had created small, recognisable figures of animals and objects that fairly littered her desk by the end of the lesson. She was aware that her half sister was clever after their shared potions class. For all her playing around Cassie had still managed to complete her work quickly and accurately, which had benefitted Charlotte as well, but this display was on a whole other level. It was rather more than brilliantly impressive but Cassie's mood continued to darken further and further despite her obvious success.

After lunch the Gryffindors had herbology, thankfully not with the black robed girls, which Charlotte herself had always excelled in. She continued this run of good form in her lesson, impressing the portly professor Sprout and earning a good many points for her house and a special Hermione hug for herself. The Irish girl was thoroughly enjoying her first day of proper school so far right up until the time that Sprout's class let out, at which point she suddely remembered her disciplinary appointment in the dak, dank depths of the castle.

Four o'clock, then, found Charlotte bolting breathlessly through the door to the dungeons just on time for her detention with professor Snape. Hermione had convinced her that being late would be a worse misdemeanor than laughing at the man in in class and would probably see her punishment doubled so she had accepted her crush's offer to guide her here. Like she would have reused it. For a start she hadn't got a damned clue where she was going and secondly any chance to spend more time with her bushy haired angel would be gleefully taken. It was going to her take forever to learn all these bloody corridors and staircases. Bidding Hermione a sad farewell and stumbling into the room she was brought up short by the sight of Cassie banging on her desk and huffing out her strange laugh while professor Snape fended off the attentions of a largish snake. If she didn't know better she would think that the two were engaged in playing some sort of well loved game together. On noticing her presence the normally dour man sobered immediately.

"You have two hours until dinner, sit over there and get on with some homework."

He deposited the python surprisingly gently around Cassie's shoulders and returned to his own work, marking essays in silence. With all the tales of hand scrubbing week old cauldrons and chopping stinkweed that her housemates had told her of their own punishments with Snape, Charlotte was pleasantly surprised at the ease of her detention. A quiet couple of hours of homework that she would only have had to do in the common room anyway didn't really seem like a punishment at all. Perhaps this early into the term the stern faced man didn't have any really nasty jobs for them to do, she thought before turning her attention to her Charms essay.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The Great Hall at Hogwarts was always packed for the first proper dinner of the new term and this year was no exception especially since, given their detention, everyone was hoping to see a rip snorting face off between Evans and Potter. What would actually happen this evening, while lacking in the violent excitement department, would be no less dramatic. Susan Bones plastered a determined expression on her face as steeled herself for what she was about to do. She was well aware that Cassie had endured an emotional evening last night with the revelation about her sister and the prospect of a dangerous tournament which she was obviously going to get sucked into. The black haired girl had been uncharacteristcally flat and uncommunicative since then and even their bedtime cuddles and waking up together or two of her favourite classes today hadn't managed to cheer her up much. Cassie needed a demonstration of support and that was precisely what Susan was planning. Even though the thought of it terrified her. A few deep breaths later and she rose, stood on the bench seat and stepped out into the middle of the Psycho Freak dining table. She turned to face a confused looking Cassie who appeared to be more interested in taking the unexpected opportunity to look up her skirt than anything else that may be prompting her actions.

"Miss Evans would you care to join me?"

And finally it dawned on Cassie. Her girl was going to do it. Now. She glanced around at the interested faces of every occupant of the packed Great Hall and couldn't help asking the question that would give Suzie a way out if she wasn't quite ready for this yet.

 **Really, now?**

"Really. Now."

The look of total and utter determination on the red head's face decided Cassie that this indeed was the time. Rising with unaccustomed grace for someone so used to living with Sirius and Remus she picked her way carefully through the scattered dishes and plates to stand straight and still before the striking, confident girl. Cassie was not often surprised by things that happened to her, her life on the streets had given her an attitude of just accepting what came along and then rolling with the punches. Often literally. She didn't expect good things to happen to her nor did she feel that she deserved them, even after the events of the last year, and as such was not disappointed when they didn't. It was with a fair amount of consternation then that she gasped in shock at the poetic words that Susan had chosen to be her opening statement today. The girl was reading her a love poem. A Welsh love poem. In Welsh. Cassandra Evans' previously cold, mistreated heart melted a little more as the soothing lyrical tones caressed her ears and she felt herself care more deeply than ever for this marvellous, magical witch who had pieced her high defences with such ease. Watery emerald eyes were locked on to brown ones as the words seemed to float and dance on the air between them.

"Digrif fu, fun, un ennyd  
Dwyn dan un bedwlwyn ein byd.  
Cydlwynach , difyrrach fu,  
Coed olochwyd, cydlechu,  
Cydfyhwman marian môr,  
Cydaros mewn coed oror,  
Cydblannu bedw, gwaith dedwydd,  
Cydblethu gweddeiddblu gwŷdd.  
Cydadrodd serch â'r ferch fain,  
Cydedrych caeau didrain."

Not a sound could be heard in the hall as Susan finished her recitation with a flourish, dropping to one knee in front of her paramour. From beneath her robes the red head pulled a single, perfect, pink and white lily and offered it to the vision of loveliness that was her Cassie with a nervous smile. She gathered herself for one last titanic effort and raised her voice again.

"Cassandra Evans-Black, Susan Bones of the Noble House of Bones requests the honour of being permitted to fomally court your serene and beautiful self."

Cassie was trying her very best not to jump up and down with glee and excitement and also desperately trying not to cry at this most unexpectedly romantic and public gesture from her girlfriend. She never knew that her Suzie could be so outspokenly sweet, but she did realise what it cost the normally shy girl to do this in front of so many people. With a sultry smile Cassie accepted the beautiful flower, pausing only briefly to inhale the light scent, and offered her left hand for Susan to kiss. Warm lips touched tenderly to her fingers and she lowered herself to wrap the other girl in her arms laying her own chaste kiss upon a blushing cheek and the deed was done. It was official. The unusual and intense relationship between the two heiresses was finally out in the open.

The tense silence in the hall was broken by the loud whooping and cheering from the girls' fellow Psycho Freaks and even though the somewhat bewildered first years were a little subdued in their celebrations, Ginny and Luna more than made up for them. They stamped their feet and banged their cutlery and hollered until they were hoarse. Ginny was especially vocal as she was tired beyond belief of all the dancing around this that her two older friends had been doing for the last year or so and she chanelled her relief into jubilant and enthusiastic shouts of triumph.

The rest of the hall just stared in shock. Homosexuallity was not unheard of in the wizarding world and nor was it really seriously denounced, but neither was it flaunted quite so openly and brazenly, and by the heiresses of two such old and prominent families no less. In their world if two wizards or two witches were in a same sex relationship they generally did their best not to draw attention to themselves for fear of discrimination. It shouldn't happen but everyone knew that it did. It appeared, however, that Cassie and Susan hadn't got that memo. Well everyone was paying attention to them now and while some would support them quietly others would be planning to make their displeasure known loudly and vehemently. As such every eye was focused on the smooching, deviant freaks in the centre of the hall. No-one noticed the crying young woman with the wild, chestnut hair running out of the great hall with tears streaming from her eyes, or the black haired, blue eyed witch who followed close on her heels.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

When the noise was at it's highest, a shocked and stunned Hermone Granger had broken, at last, and she had leapt to her feet and fled the scene in complete and utter desolated misery. Finding her way more by feel than anything else as her eyes, blurry and sore as they were, refused to co-operate by focusing, she finally reached the safety of her bed and throwing herself down on the cool, soft matress she wept. Tears of bitter frustration spilled out onto her pillow as she cursed her cowardice. It could have been her. It _should_ have been her. If it weren't for her over-reaction to troll affair and her crippling fear of being alone then they woulld have continued to be friends and it would have been _her_ up there. Cassie had been protecting her and she had treated the poor, lonely girl like she had just tried to cut out her liver and serve it with a nice chianti. Brightest witch of her age? Maybe with books and learning but when it came to the real life, important stuff like frendship and love she made Crabbe and Goyle look like rocket scientists in comparison. Her sobbing resumed with a passion.

Some little time later Hermione felt a gentle hand pull her up from her prone position and into a warm, soft and comforting hug. She gripped tightly to this welcome new anchor and sniffled and hiccoughed into the familiar jasmine scented robes of the girl who was rapidly becoming her best and only friend in Gryffindor tower. Forcing her head up she gazed into ice blue eyes as she leaned into the hand that was softly caressing her cheek and hair. The gentle Irish accent washed over her like a warm breeze when Charlotte eventually broke the silence and spoke.

"Why don't you tell me about her."

"I ... I can't."

"Look 'Mione, love. You need to talk about this and as for me ... well ... I just need to know what my sister, that I met for the first time today, is like. It's not like she can tell me now is it? And I don't think that today was exactly a fair representation of her."

"Actually it kind of is. You could break your bloody neck trying to keep up with her mood swings. "

At Charlotte's open and curious expression and hopeful smile the, now calmer, but still immensely tearful and sad bushy haired girl started to talk. The verbal diarroeah that had plagued Hermione since she had first learned to speak flexed it's considerable muscles and let itself loose on the unsuspecting black haired girl who had the misfortune of being within it's range. The flood gates were opened and every funny, sweet or disturbing Cassie related story and memory poured out in a cathartic rush to the interest of the one girl and the relief of the other. Eventually sleep overtook them and they drifted off each in the comforting embrace of the other.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **I've always been a bit crap at poetry so I relied on one by Daffyf ap Gwilym, the translation is below for those who are interested.**

 **It was sweet, my love, a while. To live our life beneath the grove of birch, More sweet was it fondly to embrace Together hid in our woodland retreat, Together to be wandering on the ocean's shore, Together lingering by the forest's edge, Together to plant birches, our " task of joy " Together weave fair plumage of the trees, Together talk of love with my slim girl, Together gaze on solitary fields.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	21. Chapter 21

**So I've had some ... issues with my mental health over the last week or so which has resulted in me having to find a new job. On the plus side it means that I have a bit more time for writing now but the flip side is that I really haven't felt like it. At all.**

 **To try and get myself out of this nasty little depressive spiral that I was in I decided to sit down with pen and paper and do some story planning . It wasn't all good or useable but it did succeed in getting me back to the computer. These next few chapters of both this story and Black Madness are the result of my fevered hours of scribbling.**

 **Enjoy the next few days as once I'm back at work we'll be back to one update a week.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **21\. Play That Funky Music.**

It had taken almost two days for the seemingly permanent smile to be wiped off of Cassandra's face following Susan Bones' official and public declaration of affection, but the staff and students of Hogwarts had still somehow managed it. The snide and hateful, if slightly wary, comments had finally taken their toll and it was very much business as usual for the girls of the newly created Psycho Freak house. Although the third and fourth years were taking it in their stride, it was nothing new for them after all, their younger counterparts were not faring quite so well. Instead of the great adventure that they had hoped for their first week of the magical school had become a nightmare of hushed whispers and considered insults that sapped the little spirit they had gained from their older house mates. It was obvious to Susan that something had to be done to help the three cute, doe eyed firsties who had awakened the protective big sister in her and if Cassie's darkening mood in respect to everyone around her was any indication she had best do it fast. Before the black haired goddess of chaos got out her scythe and started to slice and dice anyone who even so much as looked at the girls in a funny way. So caught up in these thoughts and plans was she that Susan entirely failed to notice the arrival of their new house head and mentor, professsor Sinistra and gave a very susprised squeal when the dark skinned woman spoke from behind her.

"You have a visitor Miss Evans-Black."

Cassie sighed and handed Shortcake off to her blushing girlfriend, wondering what fresh hell this rotten place had lined up for her now.

On the short trip across the silently staring hall Cassie amused her self by imagining (not for the first time) what professor Sinistra's bum looked like beneath the unflattering, if sparkly, robe that she always wore. A smile with all the spacey and dream like qualities of Luna Lovegood's made an appearance on her face while she considered this fun new topic as a way of distracting herself from whatever horrors lay at her journey's end. The distraction worked so well in fact that she ran right in to the back of her head of house when the professor stopped in front of a door and she didn't. Not one to waste such a golden opportunity when it presented itself to her she gave the older woman a swift and surrupticious feel up. Mmmm, soft but firm. Very nice.

After giving the innocent, but apologetic puppy eyes at the confused and blushing woman Cassie was led in to a good sized chamber off of the great hall where she was confronted with the sight of two grown men attempting to hide behind a small, disapproving looking house elf. Aurora Sinistra desperately tried to hold in her laughter as she entered to this amusing spectacle while her young charge bolted straight across the room and swept the tiny elf up into a crushing embrace, whirling her about and grinning in sheer pleasure.

"The bad dogs did not want to come but Winky tells them they must be brave and good like little mistress."

Cassie favoured the small elf with a tender caress before turning to the two nervous looking men.

 **Alright then gits, let's have it.**

"Ah. Okay then. Well. As you seem to have suspected there were some issues with both of our memories."

Relinquishing her tight grip on Winky the girl suddenly seemed to remember something, held up her hand for Sirius to stop and turned back to face her Astronomy professor. Cassie put her hand to her chest and gave a short bow, holding the older woman's eyes while inclining her head subtly towards the door. Aurora knew a dismissal when she was being given one and although, by any standards, this was very nice and polite one, it was still a dismissal. The green eyed witch's commanding presence (as well as her richly deserved reputation for sudden and brutal violence) gave no room for discussion on the matter. She respectfully, if a touch fearfully, returned the bow of her scary student and quietly left the room.

"Right, so ... "

Sirius stopped. The hand was up again.

Cassie walked slowly and deliberately over to the portrait of the former headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black which dominated the back wall and glared at the painting. Once she was sure that she had the attention of the sour looking man within the confines of his painting she made a bored, dismissive shooing motion. The shade of the most disgraceful headmaster in Hogwarts long history was about to launch into one of his vitriolic tirades against this disrespectful chit of a girl when he noticed her right hand. More to the point he noticed the ball of bright blue and yellow flame that had just appeared in that pale, delicate right hand. Now he knew exactly who this young woman was and the cold hand of fear gripped his long dead heart, as well as his sense of familial duty. This was the heiress of his House. His gray eyes followed her every move as she brought her fiery fingers closer and started to stroke them, almost lovingly, across the bottom of the picture frame. He felt the heat rising as the paint near to his feet began to distort and blister. Bugger Albus and his bloody orders, the old fool could do his own damned snooping. There was no way he was staying in here with little Miss blowtorch fingers. He wasn't a man who was easily frightened but this insanely scary young female with the cold, hard, emerald eyes scared the absolute crap out of him. Decision made he bolted for his other, empty frame in the headmaster's office.

 **Okay. Now we can talk.**

"Ooookay. Not creepy and paranoid in the slightest there love. So, St. Mungo's was interesting. The mind healer had some especially nasty things to say about whoever altered mine and Moony's memories."

"I think the exact words he used were 'Effing butcher' weren't they Padfoot."

The next few minutes were spent under a muffliato charm discussing how the three of them could get away with murdering the Chief Warlock of the Wizangamot for his crimes against the House of Black. Remus did try to stick up for the old man briefly but, in the end, even he had to admit that Dumbledore's actions were, not ony highly illegal, but also outrageous and totally indefensible. As the discussion went on the werewolf's temper grew until he was the one having to be restrained from storming the headmaster's office, tearing the manipulative old bastard's arm off and beating him to death with the soggy end. Cassie broke the tension that now permeated the room by giving Remus an impressed round of applause while Sirius grinned insanely and held up a piece of paper with a nine point five scrawled untidily on it. Riotous laughter followed, as well as more long and profuse apologies from the boys for unintentionally causing their most beloved little girl more un-necessary pain.

"Really Princess, I can't begin to tell you just how sorry we are."

 **Yeah, yeah, I get it you boys were obliviated and you get to keep all your body parts. Now let's get to the important stuff. I assume you brought me presents to assuage your terrible feelings of guilt a bit.**

Remus smirked and held out his hand to receive a sighing and head shaking Sirius Black's single galleon before reaching into a bottomless bag and retrieving the goodies that the two men had agreed could help to save them from possible dismemberment. He knew that they had got it right when he saw the look of utter delight as she poked and prodded the enchanted record player, complete with a stack of vinyls and grinned wickedly at her very own, very large box of special, herbal cigarettes. They shared a companionable smoke together in order to calm themselves before attending to the business of the day. Soon enough after this though it was time for Cassie's impromptu and unexpected visitors to leave.

"Alright then love, time to go I'm afraid. You coming Winks?"

Sirius gestured at the elf that they had brought with them to protect them from Cassie's wrath had she not taken their news so well. Winky didn't even attempt to start moving from the side of her mistress.

"Winky be staying at Hoggy Wots to look after little Miss."

The three humans were about to start giving good and entirely reasoned arguments as to why the small elf should not do this but were dissauded from voicing them by her hard, resolute face and determinedly clenched fists. They kept their silence and accepted the situation for what it was. A good elf looking out for her kind mistress. Quite honestly Sirius was glad that Cassie would have an extra pair of eyes on her this term if the girl's suspicions about why this blasted tournament was being staged here were correct. She was going to need all the help she could get.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

On his empty handed return to the headmaster's office Phineas Nigellus Black had to endure the rantings of the curent incumbent of what he still believed to be _his_ throne. Not that he cared really. Walburgia, the only one of hs descendants that he had even a little time for, had paid him a visit to inform him that the latest heir to their noble line would be attending this year. Indeed she had been attending the school for the last three years. He had balked somewhat when he had found out who this heir was. Not a single inhabitant, human, animal, ghost or portrait didn't know the know the name of Cassandra Evans (or Cassandra Evans-Black as she now was) and all of them were afraid of her. The girl's many and varied adventures while in this hallowed institution had made her name one to whispered in the dark corners when nobody was there to hear. Her intelligence was obvious, her magic was brilliant, her temper was legendary, her violent tendancies were awe inspiring. She was respected and feared in equal amounts. In many ways she was the perfect candidate to lead the House of Black. Phineas may be a former headmaster of Hogwarts but he was and would always remain a loyal member of the House of Black first and foremost. That and he also believed with absolute certainty that the wild, green eyed young woman really would set him on fire if he pissed her off.

Albus Dumbledore was a frustrated man at the moment. The only information that he had managed to get out of Phineas was that Evans had threatened to burn him out of his frame if he didn't leave. It wasn't news to him as he had already discovered that the nasty little bitch had been studying elemental magics over the summer. Nobody who had caught her bad tempered light show after the welcoming feast (and he was one of the few who had) could have doubted that fact. She wasn't exactly discrete when she was in one of her _moods_. Talking about discretion, or the lack of it, he had been frankly amazed when Amelia Bones' niece had stood up and declared her love for Evans in front of the entire school. Not that he hadn't known of the building romance between the two girls he was just surprised that the shy red head had given such a public declaration of her intentions. It truly was a different world to the one he grew up in. In his time anyone who gave off even the slightest whiff of homosexuality would have been disinherited and banished from the country quick smart. He should know. It was the reason why he and Gellert had to hide away their love for each other for so long. In a bout of furious anger and incredible hypocrisy the headmaster wondered how it was that the dratted girls' dirty little relationship hadn't been plastered all over the newspaper yet.

Well that at least could be easily fixed. He threw a little floo powder into his fireplace and called the editor's office at The Daily Prophet. The flames flared green and the balding head of an over worked and harrassed looking man in his late sixties appeared.

"Albus? As nice as it is to hear from you this isn't a great time, I have an early edition to get to press and I don't really have time for a chat old man."

"That's alright Milan I was actually wondering if I could have a small word with Miss Skeeter."

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Magic was so cool. This was her firm and unshakeable belief. Even for someone like Charlotte Potter who had grown up surrounded by magic and magical people it still had the capacity to surprise her. Point in case, the simplest of cheering charms when correctly performed could work wonders on the recipients, making them go from a surly, sobbing mess to a bubbly, enthusiastic human being again. It was just this charm that she and Hermione had performed on each other this morning to chase away the blues of the previous couple of days, filled with difficult and angst ridden conversations. Conversations that had only had one subject. Her sister and Hermione's unrequited love (and she knew just how that felt), the emerald eyed saviour of the wizarding world, Cassandra Evans. Or was it Black now? She'd have to ask. Of course first she would have to work out how exactly she was going to talk to her. As always, Hermione had the answer.

"Why don't I teach you how to sign?"

"What's that now?"

"Sign language. It's how Cassie communicates. Bascally she uses gestures and hand movements in a pre determined way to form words and sentences that people can understand and respond to if they have studied it. Surely you've seen her 'talking' to her friends"

She hadn't, but then Charlotte didn't spend every spare moment watching her sister like Hermione did. Although it was typical of the bushy haired beauty to come up with a solution that necessitated copious amounts of studying and library time. Not that it was a bad idea mind. It also had the added benefit of needing the two of them to spend lots of time together in close proximity. A bit of a win win situation for her really.

"Alright, sounds like a plan. So how do we go about this then?"

The manically cheerfull muggle born witch grinned at her gleefully and raised her clenched right fist into the air shouting.

"To the library!"

"Yay!"

Her response was surprisingly enthusiastic given Charlotte's much less gung ho approach to reading unless it was in the guise of certain more niche and _adult_ publications that were rather more pictorial in nature. She certainly didn't buy them for the dull articles on new potion techniques and broom maintenance. It must be the after effects of the cheering charm she supposed as she followed Hermione's delightfully bouncing rear end down the staircase in the direction of the library, caught up in a deliciously mixed daze of happiness and lust.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Of the many things that professor Aurora Sinistra had expected to see this evening during her visit to the Psycho Freak tower the sight of her four eldest students dressed in bizarre and, frankly scandalously inappropriate, outfits was not among them. This was her second foray into the lair of the freaks and while it wasn't nearly as nerve wracking as her first trip here, having now discovered just how sweet these girls were to each other, she was still a little bit nervous. It didn't help that she wouldn't have Minerva with her tonight either.

The deputy headmistress had first approached Aurora on the second night back and requested that she accompanied her to her new house's living quarters, which truth be told, she was grateful for as she only had a vague idea of where it was. Once at the small, recently refurbished tower on the Eastern edge of the castle they had entered into the cosy common room / study area / potions lab to find it eerily quiet. A muffled scream from up the stairs had them rapidly ascending to the upper level with wands drawn only to be brought to an undignified halt as they emerged into the middle of a pillow fight involving every single member of Psycho Freak house. She chuckled as she remembered having to be rescued from underneath the enormous pile of soft, white, feathery pillows by the small but strong hand of the undoubted leader of the Hogwarts House revolution herself. Cassandra Evans-Black. Heiress to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and, let's not forget, the killer of a troll, a basilisk, two dementors, a boggart and, most disturbingly, two former members of the faculty here. So yes, she was understandably nervous.

That nervousness had been immediately washed from her mind at the unbelievable sight of her boss, the stern and formidable Minerva MacGonnagal, rolling around the floor in absolute and hysterical laughter engaged in a tickle fight with Luna Lovegood. It was a scene that she would remember with fondness forever. Once the two staff members had got themselves under control Minerva had revealed the reason for their visit and they had gotten down to the business of expanding the rooms to make more sleeping quarters for the newly acquired first years. For some unknown reason Miss Bones seemed a little put out at this, but still the general friendly atmosphere remained and Aurora thought that she just might come to enjoy her time as head of the fifth house of Hogwarts. It was a good night.

This evening, however, her nerves were back, only to blown away once more by the ridiculously fun picture presented by Cassie, Susan, Ginny and Luna doing an intricately coreographed dance to the blaring music in an effort to cheer up their younger house mates. She collapsed into a chair next to a giggling Mathilde Rothschilde and watched with similar amusement evident on her face as the older girls moved and stepped in unison to the music of the muggle performer. One Miss Taylor Swift.

 _I stay out too late, Got nothing in my brain_

 _That's what people say, mmm-mmm, That's what people say, mmm-mmm_

 _I go on too many dates, But I can't make them stay_

 _At least that's what people say, mmm-mmm, That's what people say, mmm-mmm_

 _But I keep cruising, Can't stop, won't stop moving, It's like I got this music_

 _In my mind, Saying, "It's gonna be alright."_

 _'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play, And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate_

 _Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, I shake it off, I shake it off_

 _Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break, And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake_

 _Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, I shake it off, I shake it off_

 _'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play, And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (haters gonna hate)_

 _I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, I shake it off, I shake it off_

 _Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break (mmmm), And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake (and fake, and fake, and fake)_

 _Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake, I shake it off, I shake it off_

 _Shake it off, I shake it off, I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off, I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off_

 _I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off, Shake it off, I shake it off, I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off, I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off, I, I, I shake it off,_

 _I shake it off (you've got to), I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off, I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off._

The four girls finished their dance with a flourish to the rapturous applause of the their small audience, all of whom had been at least humming along and in Juliet's case singing loudly and a little off key. Much to her embarrassment. There followed much good natured ribbing of the half blood goth girl who had just been caught enjoying _pop music_ by the people she was rapidly coming to call her friends. The popular and increasingly fun Astronomy professor had tried to help by the giving the red faced girl a cuddle which only succeeded in making her blush even harder and the others laugh at her even more. The evening was brought to a close by the sudden appearance of a small house elf wearing the Black family crest on her smart, dainty dress, bearing a tray of drinks and cookies.

"Hot chocolate for the little misses, then youse all be going to beddie byes."

The little creature's demeanor left no room for dissent and Aurora was feeling much better knowing that her young charges were not going to get their own way quite so much with this small, bat eared tyrant over seeing them. Even the emerald eyed instigator of this evening's colourful and amusing shindig seemed to listen to the elf. It was, therefore, in a much more settled state of mind that professor Sinistra, head of Psycho Freak House retired to her own quarters that night, secure in the knowledge that her girls were safe and happy. She smiled to herself for the first time since the headmaster had given her this responsibilty and wondered just when it was that she had come to look upon these sweet and fun young women as 'her girls'.

Back in Psycho Freak tower a disgruntled Susan Bones was laying awake in her bed and thinking that it was much harder getting to sleep without a certain black haired witch to snuggle up to. Bloody interfering teachers spoiling all of her fun. She was just starting to build up a head of steam that would have seen her frustrated and sleepless until the morning when she felt the covers move and a lithe, soft body pressed itself against her back. Her bad mood evaporated instantly as a pair of pale arms snaked around her and held her close and she felt the hot, sweet breath of her marvellous, magnificent girlfriend tickling in her ear. Turning her head slightly Susan gazed into the mischievous but loving eyes of her beautiful temptress and placed a long, langorous kiss on her ruby red lips before closing her eyes and sighing in utter contentment. Safe and happy in her girlfriend's embrace, sleep claimed her quickly now.

Winky watched from the shadows of the bedroom as Cassie drifted off to sleep with an enormous smile lighting up her face. Mission cheer up the firsties had been a roaring success and Missy Susan 'Cuddles' Bones was in her mistress' arms. Life didn't get much better than this she thought.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

To the muggles in the small village of Little Hangleton all that could be seen was a derelict and ruined house on top of a large hill that they forgot was there almost the instant that they had seen it. To Peter Pettigrew, however, it was his new prison. It was a small step up from Azkaban but a long, long way the comfort and security of his home with the Weasleys. Dear Merlin he missed old Percy the cuddly and protective prefect. He regarded the dilapidated manor house with disgust and wondered, for the third time that morning, whether he could get away with running off abroad again. Perhaps somewhere further afield this time. Like Australia. Or the moon. He sighed heavily. It didn't matter how far he went in the end. His master would always find him and that would result in more pain for him. Even as this weak, weird, ugly baby thing the Dark Lord could still put up a fairly nasty approximation of the cruciatus spell. Peter forced himself to trudge up the hill once more with his bag of supplies, pies and chips for him (he was comfort eating again) and milk formula for Voldemort the infant. Yeah, best not think _that_ particular nickname around his master or the consequences would be severely painful. As he stomped wearilly through the door the bored, nasal voice of an intellectually challenged, aristocratic, blonde idiot filled his ears.

"Hurry up Pettigrew you worthless worm, our Lord needs his sustenance."

There was a chorus of cruel laughs. Oh bloody hell. The moron brigade was here again. Of course they were lacking a few members after that Quidditch World Cup debacle. Goyle senior had fallen foul of a bad tempered and over powered blasting curse from the enraged Voldebaby and two of the new recruits had found themselves on the wrong end of a certain black haired psycho witch's terrible vengence. He smiled a little at that thought, despite the situation. That girl would burn the world down to get at those who attempted to harm her friends or family. It was an unhappy and regularly recurring thought to Peter that this now included him. Perhaps he should just turn himself in to the DMLE and the Bones woman now. Azkaban suddenly didn't seem quite so bad. At least he'd be safe there. Sort of.

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 **So I caught a video on you tube of the RWBY girls doing 'Shake it off' and it put a smile on my face for the first time in ten days. It also inspired that anachronistic little scene in Psycho Freak tower. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	22. Chapter 22

**After some deliberation and with the great support of one of my most long standing and loyal followers, the wonderful Pannthour, I have decided to add in a chapter giving some of the back story to our new first year Psycho Freaks. This wasn't in my original plan but I do feel it's important to give at least some detail about the lives of these new additions as they're here to stay.**

 **WARNING. There will be mention of physical and psychological abuse as well as self harm in this chapter. It isn't explicit but if you would prefer not to read it you can skip over this chapter and not really miss anything. It was pretty tough to write for me and I completely understand if you want to skip ahead.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **22\. Don't look Back in Anger.**

By the end of their first week the stares and the whispers had taken a heavy toll on the both the mood and the enthusiasm of the first year girls of Psycho Freak House. It had gotten decidedly worse after Susan Bones little display of old world chivalry at the dinner table early in the week and all of the girls were now looked upon with fear and suspicion. All of them were now ridiculously tarred with the same brush, both new and old members of the 'house of the homos' were studiously avoided by the general population of Hogwarts. Granted that Cassie and Susan were actually in a same sex relationship and Ginny and Luna, most of the time, behaved like they were, but they themselves were eleven for Merlin and Morgana's sake. They didn't even think of other people like that yet, no matter how much their individual gazes lingered on their stunning black haired senior and her lucky bitch of a girlfriend.

For most of the school it was simply an act of self preservation, to avoid being lumped together in the same catagory as the reviled fifth house but for others they gleefully took every opportunity to scorn and belittle them. There was no regard for the feelings or for the newly arrived status of the first years who had been targeted, although their tormentors were at least slighty circumspect, knowing how little tolerance the older Psycho Freaks had for any type of bullying. Let alone if it was practiced upon any of _their_ girls. Never the less there remained a nasty undercurrent of malice around the castle whenever any of the younger black robed girls were in range and it made them stick together for both comfort and safety. There was a building sense of cameraderie that affected not just the three first years but which also drew in their over protective house mates.

It was, therefore, a natural reaction for the three youngest members of the newest house to take some time to reflect on what had brought each of them to where they now were. As they sat gathered in the downstairs in the common room each of the first years read their letters which they had received that morning, deep in concentration and lost in their own individual thoughts. These musings were, in fact, remarkably similar in essence, despite their vastly differing family circumstances.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Cerys Williams was, even from her first moments upon this earth, always such a quiet child. She cried just enough to not worry her older brother Matthew but not enough to attract the unwanted attention of their violent and alcoholic father. Not that he was home very much. Da was an ex coal miner, embittered by the failure of the great strike of '84 to keep the pits open and spent his time these days pretty much evenly split between the bookies and the pub. After being made empty promises of a lifetime of work in the historic Treforgan Colliery and with a new born baby to feed, the mine's closure had been a hammer blow from which the proud man had simply never recovered. So he drank to dull his pain, which turned into drinking because it was habit, which turned into drinking because it was an addiction. It would have all been, well not perfect, but at least okay if their mam had been there for the kids but she was just as affected as her husband had been and had descended quickly into a deep depression from which she had never emerged. In an amlost catatonic stupor she would stare with uncomprehending eyes at the endlessly cheerful offering of daytime shows on television, chain smoking and completely ignoring her children or their basic needs. So it was left to the seven year old Matthew to care for both himself and his baby sister and to try and hide from their parents the strange and frightening things that often occured around the two of them.

Professor MacGonnagal's visit to the Pembrokeshire coast to inform the eldest muggleborn Williams of his staus as a wizard and to offer him a place at Hogwarts had not gone well for anyone. For starters the boy shared a birthday with a certain green eyed little girl who lived just up the coast (not that she knew where thanks to Dumbledore's efforts) and that always brought painful memories for her. Then there was the squallor in which these two clearly bright and magical children lived and the casual indifference of their, and she hesitated to use the word, _parents_ towards them. It was all greatly distressing for the stern, middle aged witch and she had vowed to herself that she was not going to leave either of them in such conditions for long. However, the rusty wheels of the muggle child protective system in South West Wales turned terribly slowly. In the end, despite her constant badgering, it had taken nearly a year and two episodes of extreme violence towards the not quite five year old Cerys by her unstable father to get them removed to a safer environment. It was another year and a half before the girl could be placed with an adoptive family in Swansea. Her brother never was.

Separation from her, much revered, brother and severe psychological trauma had caused the young Cerys to grow up strange and shy almost totally silent. It wasn't that she couldn't speak, more like that she chose not to in the fear that she might say or do something to set her guardians off and generate another beating. Not that these kind and jolly older people ever had or ever would think of doing that to her but she feared it all the same. The bouts of accidental magic didn't exactly help either. Luckilly for Cerys her brother had explained why these strange things happened around her, not that he was supposed to but the highly protective Matthew certainly wasn't going to let her stumble through the frightening experience as he had. So he told her about her magic and about Hogwarts, both the good and the bad. He gave her insights that she didn't exactly need into how she should conduct herself around the blood purists and decidedly more helpful tips on how to cope with her school work once she got there herself in six years time.

It was mainly due all to this preparation in her earlier years that none of the things that had happened so far this week had phased the small, quiet brunette in the slightest. She had known what would probably happen almost the second that she had been sorted into the outcast's house and very little of the fear and pity directed towards her and her fellow Psycho Freaks was a surprise to the damaged young witch. What was a surprise was the details that Susan had revealed to her about the llife to date of the much admired 'girl-who-lived'. Cerys had cornered the tall red head early on in the week and had questioned her relentlessly about Cassie's life to date. All she had known had been those silly books that her brother had gifted her over the years which were obviously and ridiculously untrue. I mean really, just who rode around on a unicorn and owned a miniature pet dragon while heroically battling the forces of darkness? Life was just not like that even for the wealthiest or the most spoiled of people in any world. When she heard what the emerald eyed goddess had actually gone through in her life Cerys felt almost guilty for thinking that her own upbringing was overly harsh. By comparison Cerys felt, not blessed, but definitely a little better about her own experiences. Having your vocal chords removed with a large pair of blunt scissors sounded distinctly more savage and painful than the occaisional alcohol fuelled beatings that she had taken. She was frankly amazed that Casie wasn't far more disturbed than she actually was but the other girl had proved to be an absolute delight to be around and Cerys quickly felt herself becoming one of her growing crowd of adoring fans.

The festivities that would follow after she had finished reading (and tearing up a little at) her brother's emotional letter to her, would cement her place firmly in Cassandra Evans-Black fan club for life.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

When her mother had died on active service in a supposed potions accident in the Department of Mysteries, Juliet Jones' kind and loving father's mind had gone into a kind of a psychological freefall. It had taken fourteen months before he had so much as smiled again and the only thing that could have elicited this response from the heartbroken man was the sound of his tiny, beautiful, black haired daughter's first halting words. Her happy, grinning coos and chuckles each time she presented him with her newest piece of crayon art had him melting faster than ice cream in August and, for a brief while, would make him forget just how sad he was. It would not be overstating things to say that little Juliet had very literally saved his life. This may have explained to some extent the closeness between the two of them even as she grew older and discovered the fascinating world of emo and goth. No matter how otherwise socially inept and removed from the outside world she was Juliet was always smiling when in the company of her dad. This was something that delighted him utterly and she loved him for that, even when she teased him mercilessly for being a soppy old sod.

None of these traits, however, managed to escape the confines of their comfortable bungalow in the suburbs of Chester and outside of the house it was rare to find the girl smiling. It was as if she were two entirely different people in each environment. Juliet's interactions with other people were usually one sided and any who tried to approach her for conversation or companionship were quickly put off by her very few, but always acidic and sarcastic, reactions to them. This, of course, meant that life at the muggle primary school that she had attended was a quiet and lonely one. Not that she minded. If her peers or teachers couldn't be bothered to see beneath the hard shields that she had erected and wonder at the sweet and playful, warm hearted girl beneath the surface then why should she care about any of them. Her first bouts of accidental magic had only served to alienate her further and soon led to the kind of absent minded cruelty that scared young children perpetrate upon those they consider to be strange and different. They were afraid of her and they dealt with it by ignoring the fact that she even existed. She dealt with them in an entirely dfferent way.

Juliet played up to her name calling class mates by appearing to be precisely what they accused her of being. The witch. The weirdo. The girl with no mum. She took to wearing odd clothing of the darkest, midnight black with striped monochrome tights and high laced boots and could always be seen reading some book or other about vampires, werewolves or sorcery. When in public her musical tastes were as dark as her attire, low and mournful and filled with lyrics awash with suicidal themes and emotional turmoil. Most disturbing to the pupils, however, was her habit when in class of cutting into her own forearms with the sharpened end of her favourite mechanical pencil. More than once had one of her class mates who had been unfortunate enough to witness this little ritual been sent to the school nurse in a state of hysterical, blubbering shock. When this happened Juliet would lick the blood from her arm and give one of her rare and exceptionally creepy smiles. No-one told on her. They were all terrified that the evil vampire witch would come for them in the night if they so much as breathed a word. Such was her public image.

At home with her dad though it was a totally different story. The two of them would chatter on for hours relating the minutiae of their respective days (the content of which was extensively edited in Juliet's case) and laugh at each other's failed attempts to cook the evening meal before ordering their nightly takeout. Occasionally after a particularly good evening George Jones would sit next to his daughter's bed and tell her many stories of her mother's nefarious adventures at Hogwarts and beyond. He would tell her of the gorgeous, wonderful, temperamental witch that she was, filling Juliet's dreams with the smiling image of the black haired, green eyed firecracker that she had never known.

It was likely that it was these stories as well as the surviving pictures of her cool and funny but still very dead mum were responsible for her being drawn to the presence of Cassandra Evans when first she had seen her. She had appeared through the steam engulfing Platform nine and three quarters with her billowing robe, coal black hair and her sparkling emerald eyes, like the very reincarnation of Emmeline Jones. Albeit one with a eight foot python draped around her shoulders. It had been adoration at first sight for the gobsmacked first year and an image that would be indelibly burned into her memory for the rest of her life. Whatever else happened at this dangerous pigsty of a school, it would all be worth it for the mere fact that she would get to be close to this complicated and incredible young woman. The bonds that she was forming through adversity with her house mates was just a rather pleasant bonus when compared to that.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The Noble and Ancient House of Rothschild had been a major power in the political landscape of wizarding Britain for the last two centuries and if Mathilde's parents had anthing to say about they would remain so for the forseeable future. They had been rich enough and savvy enough to walk the fine line of neutrality in the last great blood war, losing only one less than intelligent uncle to Voldemort's mad grab for supreme power, and fully intended to do so again should the rumours circulating among the darker houses prove true. It was, therefore, with a good amount of unpleasant surprise that they received Mathilde's letter outlining her acceptance into the house containing the new heiress to the Black fortune. The girl who had beaten the Dark Lord while still an infant and who had also, according to their sources, taken the lives of two death eaters at the Quidditch World Cup with both consumate ease and skill. Having their middle child so closely assiociated with the 'girl-who-lived' did their family's carefully aloof stance above the fray no good whatsoever. Still, it may prove a useful acquaintance for them. The Rothschild's may be old money but in terms of finances and political muscle they were mere amateurs when compared to the mighty Noble and Most Ancient House of black. And if it wasn't useful? Well, they had other children. It would be no great loss to sacrifice her to whichever side came out on top.

Mathilde Rothschild was not a fool. She knew full well what her harsh and unyielding parents thought of her. Magical ability and useflness to the family were all that mattered to them and she hadn't much in either department. Unlike her siblings. Roseanne, her older sister, had both the grace and the beauty that was so lacking in her, and it was being nurtured and perfected in the hot-house of Beaubaxton's Academy in order to make her into the perfect match for any high born scion. Then there was her nine year old brother. The little prince. The long awaited male heir to their vaunted house. Snooty, spoiled and bratty, he was being moulded in their father's image to take on the roles and responsibities of the next Lord Rothschild. Including being a nasty little git to his big sister, apparently. Which left her. The unwanted and forgotten daughter. The mistake. Never appearing in any of the multitude of family photographs and left to be raised by the scared and obsequious house elves she was kept well out of sight and out of mind. The rest of her relatives barely noticed her and when they did it was never in a good way. Mathilde had learned very swiftly that playing up to gain her parents or her siblings attention was most definitely _not_ a good idea.

She looked again, sighing in resignation, at the last line of her parents return letter to her in no doubt that she would not be receiving another unless something fairly drastic happened. At least it wouldn't be a howler. Oh no, any future correspondence regarding her behaviour would be cold and subtle and infinitely more scary than that. It would bring the promise of a long, lonely and probably rather painful summer.

 _ **We expect you to uphold the honour and dignity of the Rothschild name**_.

The 'or else' while not specifically stated was nevertheless implied in the tone of frosty formality prevalent in the cold missive in her hands and a small chill ran quickly down her spine. Father may be a brute who was a little too quick with his temper as well as with his measured and cutting words but it was mother's icy, unforgiving stare that she found far more frightening. Being sent away to Hogwarts was, in truth, a blessed relief for her and the fact that she seemed to be gaining friends and allies was merely an added, if nice and unexpected, bonus for her. Of course her family would be horrified to learn that the friends she was gettng so close to were a 'halfie' and a mudblood but it wasn't like she was going to tell them any of that. Nor the fact that Cassandra Evans-Black, or Cassie as they had been instructed to call her, was a self confessed, out and proud lesbian. Not if she valued her hide anyway. She could just imagine mother's reaction to that scandalous news. First there would be outrage, then there would follow the not so subtle hints that Mathilde should start cosying up to the black haired temptress in the hopes of securing a betrothal contract. Like that would ever happen. Anybody with eyes could tell how hopelessly in love Susan and Cassie were and while it was incredibly cute the only outcome for her would be a severe punishment for her failure to capture the heart of the green eyed goddess.

So the first week wound down to it's end with an ever increasing amount of stares and suspicion for Mathilde from her class mates and even some of the professors, puting a very slight damper on her high spirits from, at last, being free of the stifling atmosphere of resentment that had been her life to date. It hadn't been unexpected. She had just hoped for more. _Plus ca change_ she thought to herself as she put away the horrid letter and looked up just in time to see four grinning and scantilly clad older witches tumbling down the stairs into their common room, holding a large white box. What they did next changed her outlook for ever.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Eyes shining the three first years gazed in adoration at the fable 'girl-who-lived'. Their role model, their class mate, their heroine as she and her friends danced their hearts out to the Taylor Swift track. The girls giggled and hummed and in one very surprising case sang along loudly as their wonderful new family moved, swayed clapped and smiled their way through the complex and brilliant dance routine. And it was all for them. To cheer up the three disillusioned and despondent little eleven year olds. The fact that they had dressed up as Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long was not lost on one of their number at least. Even the copies of _How to Sign_ that they had received with strict instructions to read, digest and learn hadn't brought down their mood when they realised that Cassie wanted them to be able to communicate fully with her. This wasn't just some extra homework for them it was something that all of them had secretly longed for. Their own secret language.

Juliet took a great deal of delight in later excitedly explaining the intricacies of the the brilliant anime series RWBY in minute detail to the sleepy but astonished and wide eyed Cerys and Mathilde as they lay in their beds that night. As horrid and disappointing as their first week at Hogwarts school had been this joyous and fun filled Friday night had more than made up for it. The three eleven year olds finally felt, for the first time in their lives, as if they were part of something greater than themselves. They felt as if they had come home from a long, dark and dangerous journey. All of them were experiencing true friendship which had either eluded them or they themselves had shunned in the past. They were the Psycho Freaks and they were suddenly enormously proud of it.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

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 **For those of you who stuck with me on this, thanks. Cutting is not something that I know very much about so I hope I didn't totally screw it up, but I do have extensive personal experience in both alcoholism and mental illness. I struggle to write about it even in passing as I did here but sometimes these stories need to be told. Once more a huge thank-you to my friend Pannthour for your advice and encouragement.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	23. Chapter 23

**It's back to the main story arc after our little dip into the past of everybody's favourite new losers and how they earned their Freak status. Thanks to all of you who left such kind words for a chapter that I still wasn't sure about posting even as I put it up. By the way in answer to Muroshi the list is as follows;**

 **Ruby Rose; Cassie. Short, dark and violent. 'Nuff said.**

 **Yang Xiao Long; Susan because she's more ... ah ... developed than the rest.**

 **Blake Belladona; Luna. People watcher and a closet freak.**

 **Weiss Schnee; Ginny. Serious, straight forward and rather blunt but always gets talked into having fun.**

 **We're still going quite slowly for the moment but October is fast approaching and things will hot up pretty soon so stay tuned.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **23\. Do You Think I'm Sexy?**

The lazilly spinning ceiling fan didn't do much more than spread the large amounts of dust and stale air around the spacious open plan office but it didn't seem to matter to the spectacled woman leaning back in her chair watching it's progress. She tossed her long, curly, auburn hair back out of her eyes and nibbled absent mindedly on the end of her favourite quill lost in her thoughts. Contrary to popular opinion Rita Skeeter was not a heartless or overly vindictive woman. Nor was she stupid. She had done enough interviews with the great and good of the wizarding world to know that they always came with a price and she was currently totting up the cost of this one with the mighty Albus Dumbledore. Of course he hadn't deigned to give it in person but only over the floo connection in her editor's office, a fact that still rather irked the old man apparently as she was stuck here on a Saturday finishing up her re-writes. Not that it mattered. When the man who controlled the Wizangamot gave you an interview, you damn well printed it. The financial and political consequences for the paper of not doing so were dire enough that Milan had not hesitated for a single second. Rita couldn't blame him really. She would have done exactly the same in his position.

Rita was well aware that outright attacking the character of the new heiress to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black as Dumbledore seemed to want, would be monumentally stupid, not to mention dangerous. Rumours of her temper and her prediliction for violence had been circulating around the small community of British news hounds quite a few weeks now. Several of them had children who attended Hogwarts and the whispers of butchered trolls and murdered professors that made it home in the school breaks spread quickly. Add to that the general air of caution that those who interracted with her on a regular basis displayed and she had rightly guessed that the 'girl-who-lived' was not someone that you wanted to make an enemy of. Especially not now that she had been adopted into the Black family. Cassandra Evans-Black now had the considerable power of one of the oldest and most widely respected and feared dark families behind her which made Rita's job all the harder.

Now she would have to walk a paper thin line between relaying the information that the Chief Warlock wanted and not pissing off one of the most dangerous young witches in the country or her wealthy and powerful relatives. Then of course there was the other participant in this little soap opera. The girl who had publicly declared her intention to court the Black scion. Miss Susan Bones. An heiress herself to the Noble House of Bones and the niece of the head of the DMLE. This had not made it an exactly easy article to write but confidence in her abilities was not lacking in Rita and she believed that she had made an excellent job of it. It was one of the rare occasions that just stating the facts without any of her her usual embellishments was preferable, putting in enough detail to satisfy Dumbledore while glossing over some of the more scandalous parts to keep the Blacks and Amelia Bones off her back. Some brief discussion with the boss, who had been around long enough to know what kind of danger a story like this could be for them, a couple of re-writes and it was all done. Everyone involved would be, if not happy, then at least not particularly angry and she would secure her position as the Daily Prophet's special correspondent to the Tri Wizard Tournament later this year.

Rita sighed as she scribbled her name messily at the bottom of the final draft and, sealing it in envelope, used her wand to send it flying off to her boss' office for his official stamp of approval before going to press. Tomorrow the article would be read by more than half of the population of wizarding Britain and her name, for good or ill, would be on everyones lips once more. It was about the best outcome anyone could have hoped for from the potential minefield that the wily old headmaster had laid for them.

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The Psycho Freak weekend fun extravaganza, put on by the four older residents of the tower, had lasted well into the small hours of Monday and it was seven tired little witches that sat at their house table that on the first morning of their second week. Well six tired witches and one irrepressible blonde bundle of energy that was Luna Lovegood. How she managed to still bounce around and chatter non stop after the two days and three nights of sugar fuelled mayhem that they had all indulged in was a mystery to her house mates. Cassie darkened her glasses by a couple of shades more and shuddered as she watched the platinum haired girl load her porridge with sugar, honey and jam. It was all the rest of them could do to manage to force down a couple of slices of dry toast. Despite her lack of sleep and sore stomach from their unimaginative, but fun, diet of the last few days she gave a knowing smirk at the similar expressions of pain from everyone who wasn't currently Luna. All good things had to end though and week two was the time for classes to really get going.

Annoyingly, after Ms Skeeter's expose on her love life in yesterday's Prophet, there was still quite a bit of attention focused on the fifth house of Hogwarts at the moment and on one of it's members in partcular. If Cassie had thought that Susan's official and extremely public declaration of the intention to court her would stop all the business offers and marriage contract requests then she was very, very wrong. Sure enough it restricted the flow of upper class, idiot males beating a path to her door to inquire in flowery (and not so flowery in some cases) terms as to her availability to accompany them on a date but all it had really done was shift the focus of her would be paramours. Instead of boys, now it was the girls of the castle who were giving her calculating, sidelong looks after receiving long and explicitly instructional letters from their well to do and power hungry relatives.

In public, the old pure blood families might express their disgust and outrage for the vile curse of homosexuality that infected the, already mentally unstable in their view, 'girl-who-lived' but in private it was another matter entirely. These ancient and noble houses secretly only cared about three things. Power, prestige and, most importantly of all, money. All of which could be gained by allying their family with the either the head of or the heir to the vast fortune and political powerhouse that was the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Given that many people believed that the horrors of a decade long stay in Azkaban would have had a devastating effect on one's ability to produce a child, most were focusing their efforts on the younger option. These grandees and pillars of the wizarding community thought that the fact that their target was an obvious lunatic as well as a lesbian would just make her all the easier to control in the future. The sacrifice of the virtue, reputation, or even the life, of one of their daughters did not even cause a momentary concern for them if it gained them such power and wealth for their own family. As for the young women involved in these familial plots and plans, their attitudes differed wildly. For some, like Pansy Parkinson, nothing changed as they had long standing pre contract agreements already in place but for others it would become far more of an issue.

Of course it didn't hurt that Cassandra Evans-Black, after her ascension to the upper eschelons of wizarding society and all of the attendant wardrobe improvements and salon quality skin and hair care benefits that it brought, was undeniably and unbelievably gorgeous. Many of those who had been tasked with attracting the attention of the Black heiress were thinking themselves lucky in the respect that if they did manage to capture her they would probably have a happier life than being shackled to some troll in human form like Crabbe or Goyle. First though they would have to get past the formidable presence of Miss Susan Bones, which was no easy matter. The tall red head was rather pretty, skilled at magic and had almost as much of a temper as Cassie when it came to protecting her interests in respect of her girlfriend.

Oblivious as always to the sly looks and subtle plans of those around her, Cassie ploughed on with her breakfast in blissfful ignorance, enjoying the light hearted conversation of her house mates. A few minutes later though she found her attention being drawn to a brewing altercation across the hall at the Gryffindor table.

"Shut your feckin' mouth. That's my feckin' sister you're gobbing off about, you dorty, evil skank."

The hall fell quiet as Charlotte's anger thickened and roughened her, usually light and demure Irish accent while she vented at the hateful, gossiping blonde bitch. Lavender Brown looked shocked at the Potter scion's outburst and she made the somewhat unwise decision to respond in kind with a supercillious and condescending tone while waving her copy of the newspaper at her.

"I don't understand why _you_ , of all people are sticking up for her."

"Well it's not that surprising is it, considering that she's shagging her own little mudblood girly pet. Although why she'd want to rub fannies with the bushy beaver is a mystery to me."

Ron Weasey's loud and obnoxious voice cut through the quiet hall causing Charlottes jaw to clench and her eye to twitch in a similar manner to her sister's when facing down one of her defence professors who was attempting to either kill or mind rape her. Before she could get herself under control enough to answer the grinning, ginger moron there was an explosion from the brunette who had been standing slightly behind her, shaking in barely contained rage.

"At least I'm not a total disgrace to my name family Ronald."

"No, just to your entire species, you know it all lezzy slut."

Charlotte stood in stunned confusion, feeling a little left out as the two stood nose to nose and continued to trade increasingly vile insults. Hermione pointing out the boy's deficiencies in his work ethic, magical ability, and personal hygiene, while Ron railed and spat about her muggle parents and the fact that she wasn't a 'proper' witch. The Irish girl wondered, not for the first time, why this was being allowed to continue. There were at least four teachers at the top table, not to mention the headmaster himself, and yet they just sat there looking on, almost bored and accepting of this, rather loud definitely and extremely vitiolic, argument. The growing crowd of interested observers gasped as, after a spectacularly telling and inventive barb regarding the specifics of inbreedng among pure blood families in general and the Weasleys in particular from the bushy haired girl, the red faced ginger idiot raised his hand to physically strike her. Charlotte watched, frozen in place for a second, and when she finally did manage to get herself moving she realised that she was not going to be in time to intercept Ronald's fast moving fist. As it happened there was no need for her to worry. Somebody else had also been watching the little contretemps at the Gryffindor table and was on alert as she had been expecting something like this to happen at some stage.

There was a loud crack and a flash of bright blue light that insinuated it's way between the two combatants, struck Ron in the middle of his chest and threw the rage filled, fist swinging young man ten feet backwards into the wall.

All eyes turned to the source of the unknown, but devastatingly effective, spell to see the black robed figure of Cassandra Evans-Black stood on her house table with her empty and still smoking hand raised. All extraneous noise ceased as she lowered her arm, leapt nimbly down from the table top and began to stalk menacingly across the room towards the fallen wizard. Mouths agape the scared students scrambled out of her path as she continued her march to the Gryffindor's eating area followed by a slightly nervous looking Susan Bones. After sitting on their hands for the entirety of the actual argument and almost allowing Weasley to hit the considerably smaller witch, it was only now that the staff decided to act. Dumbledore himself appeared beside the blinking wizard who was sat, unmoving, on the floor against the wall where he had landed and helped the dazed young man to his feet while giving Cassie a very disapproving glare.

"I think we'll have you in detention please Miss Evans-Black."

"Why just her, she was only protecting Hermione here from being attacked by him."

Charotte pointed an accusing finger at the still rubber legged Ron and voiced what many of the witches in the hall were thinking.

"Violence is never the answer Miss Potter."

"It seems to be for that nasty great shite."

"And you'll be joining Miss Evans in her detention Miss Potter. I will not have a respectable young wizard like Mr Weasley being physically attacked like this for any reason."

"But it's alright for me to be physically attacked by Ron?"

Dumbledore heard the murmurs start from among the crowd as Hermione asked what, to her was a perfectly reasonable question, but in the headmaster's mind was a matter best left to her betters. i.e. everyone who wasn't a dirty little mudblood girl. It was time to put an end to this. In a rare display of public anger the old man suddenly roared.

"Enough! Granger, detention with Evans and Potter. For the rest of the month."

Cassie watched the angry old man stomp away to his office with a look of pure hatred on her face. She stepped up to Charlotte and Hermione who were once again standing next to each other, watching the emerald eyed girl closely and turned gracefully on her heel to present them with her back. Reaching down she slid her small hands into those of her sister and her ex best friend, then determinedly led the pair of surprised witches back to the Psycho Freak table to finish their, rudely interrupted, breakfast.

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In Cassie's opinion defence against the dark arts had always been one of her least useful and least favourite lessons in her time at here at Hogwarts. Of course it didn't help that the instuctors hired to teach the class by the doddery old fool of a headmaster had been mostly on the crap side of bloody awful. Quirell/Voldemort had given her a headache and tried to kill her, Lockheart was a useless ponce who had attempted to obliviate her and neither of them had known the first thing abaout their subject. Things had gotten a little better when Uncle Remus had turned up as he actually seemed to know what he was talking about but even he didn't bring the necessary enthusiasm for his craft to be expected from a good teacher. She loved the old werewolf fiercely as a great friend and member of her extended family, but a great professor? No, not really. Competent, yes. Great, no. It was with a certain amount of surprise then that she discovered that former auror and current professor, Alastor Moody was one of those teachers who seemed to shine when imparting his knowledge of his chosen specialisation to the young minds before him. His wealth of experience in dark curses and dark wizards for that matter had made his first two lessons with her year group last week both informative, and also, pretty fun. It didn't take long for normal service to be resumed, however, as the fourth year Slytherins, Gryffindors and Psycho Freaks filed into the defence classroom for their lesson on Monday afternoon.

It started off innocently enough with the professor's lecture of how they needed to understand exactly how the darkest of spells, the unforgiveables, worked, but it went rapidly downhill when he explained that they also needed to know how they _felt_. Susan and Cassie glanced worriedly at each other realising that their new teacher might mean that he was going to demonstrate the imperious curse on some of his students rather than on the enlarged spiders that he had been using as study aids. Nah. He couldn't be that dumb surely. Or could he? At Moody's next statement their hopes for a quiet theoretical lecture were cruelly dashed.

"Right then, who's first for the demonstration?"

Cassie looked on becoming increasingly nervous as professor Moody brought up student after student to stand on a low table at the front of the classroom and be subjected to the dark curse. She wasn't nervous about being cursed, she had enough practice at that after her first year at Hogwarts after all, but more about what she would inevitably do to the teacher if he tried to make her do something that she didn't want to. She honestly thought that she had broken her streak of killing defence professors after Uncle Remus' survival last year but if this went the way she thought it would then her run of good luck might just be about to come to an end. Which was a shame really because for all his gruff, no nonsense manner and insane paranoia he really was a pretty decent teacher.

"Evans. You're next. Up you come girl."

Cassie sighed deeply and handed her dagger and wand to Susan. She didn't actually need to them to kill the man, considering the stellar advances that she had made in her wandless and elemental magic, but there was no point in giving herself too much in the way of temptation. Utilising a little touch of that same elemental magic she half jumped, half floated onto the table from her desk and stood regarding the professor over the top of rimless lenses with a small smirk upon her graceful landing. She did not fail to notice the amused, answering twitch of his lip and mentally gave herself a pat on the back for her decision to leave 'Mister Pointy' and 'Miss Deathtree' with her girlfriend.

"Imperio."

There was no preamble, no words of warning, he simply levelled his wand at her and started the spell.

At first nothing seemed to happen but then, after a minute when the scarred former auror set his face in grim determination and poured more power into his curse, she felt a tickle at the back edges of her mind. It was a strange feeling to have another person wandering around in it and Cassie pondered whether this was what being subjected to leglimency felt like. There was no time for idle thought now though as a disembodied voice spoke up.

 _Kiss Draco Malfoy._

 _Why?_

 _Don't argue girl. Kiss Draco Malfoy._

This was a bit like having a conversation with the sorting hat she thought. Although the scruffy old headgear had at least let her get the occaisional word in when they spoke. This person was decidedly more agressive and less chatty.

 _Kiss Draco Malfoy._

The voice was becoming annoyingly insistent now. Why the bloody hell did it want her to kiss Malfoy? As if. Although if she really thought about it she _did_ want to give her idiot blonde cousin a kiss. A very _special_ kind of a kiss. Cassie fought hard to keep the grin from her lips and her face a blank emotionless mask as she stepped down from the table and walked slowly over to the young Slytherin princeling. As she faced a slightly nervous Draco and removed her glasses, putting them safely in her pocket, the emerald eyed leader of the Psycho Freaks finally allowed a wide, creepy smile to appear. Then she suddenly grabbed the lapels of his robes, leaned back to give herself some momentum and delivered a devastating head butt right to the bridge of the unfortunate boy's nose.

Pandemonium broke out among the students as the screaming, bleeding young man dropped to the floor holding his shattered nose. The Slytherins shouted and cursed in their outrage, the Gryffindors howled in amusement and Charlotte and Hermione dragged the giggling Cassie away from the mayhem that she had created while Susan covered their retreat with drawn wand and a grim, forbidding countenance. The man pretending to be Alastor Moody was trying his hardest to keep his face schooled into an expression of academic annoyance as he felt that falling to the floor in hysterics at the brilliant show might just blow his cover.

"Settle down! Crabbe, Goyle. Kindly assist Mister Malfoy to the infirmary. Evans, come over here."

He watched in interested fascination as the still grinning girl replaced her glasses on her face and attempted a wide eyed, innocent look on her short journey to the front of the classroom. He tried to remember that this talented and amusing young woman was actually his target and the enemy of the Dark Lord and had killed two of his comrades this summer. Frankly though he thought that they should be trying to recruit her rather than kill her. Pushing these mental meanderings to the side for now he resumed his stern teacher persona.

"May I ask why you felt the need to assault Mister Malfoy?"

"She says that the voices in her head made her do it."

Susan spoke up, interpreting for her girlfriend.

"I believe that the 'voices' as you put it told you to kiss him, not pummel him."

The taller red head frowned a bit at that but still gave Casie's answer for her.

"She says that she did kiss him."

"It may have been some time since I was so intimate with anyone but I don't seem to recall any form of kissing that resulted in a broken nose and two black eyes Miss Evans."

The walking encyclopedia that was Hermione Granger made the connection and entered the fray to give the professor an explanation.

"Ummm professor Moody. I believe that in her own twisted way that's exactly what Cassie did. I think that when you gave her the imperious instruction she came up with her own warped interpretation of it in order to fit in with her own wishes. In this case she used your command to give Malfoy a kiss and translated it to mean a ... um ... Glasgow kiss."

"Which is?"

Delighted that her professor had asked the correct question, Hermione then proceeded to launch into a thorough and un-necessarily detailed explanation of the afore mentioned cranial assault, popular in the less polite areas of Scotland's second city. By the end of her long, long, _long_ examination of the possibly (but probably not) ancient Pictish martial art even the hardened death eater and muggle hater masquerading as her defence professor was chuckling. One look at the huffing black haired girl pouting as she was being cleaned up by her giggling female paramour caused the chuckle to become a full blown laugh. Which became a lung wracking cough necessitating him to take a long drink from his hip flask. Waving them out the watery eyed man dismissed the class but called out to the group of four girls just as they were approaching the door.

"Miss Evans. Take twenty points for Psycho Freak house why don't you."

"What for Sir?"

Susan was confused but the scarred old man just smiled.

"Entertainment value."

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Sitting up in bed on Friday night Charlotte Potter was conducting a mental review of her second week here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Mental was definitely the right word as it had been a week full of insane incidents both fun and not so fun. Classes had settled into a kind of boring regularity in which she did enough to not embarass herself or her family name, apart that is from Monday's defence against the dark arts lesson which had been absolutely hysterical. Thanks in most part to her sister's, admittedly, rather strange sense of humour. Cassie was all kinds of fun and Charlotte (or Charli as she had asked her new friends to call her) had finally been able to hold a form of conversation with her estranged sibling. Mostly they had just talked about spells and magic and how cute all the Psycho Freak girls were. And Hermione of course, the reason why they were able to communicate at all. Nothing heavy had been discussed. That conversation could wait. Right now the two black haired girls were just having fun getting to know one another first. The bonus was that she was also getting to hang out with all of Cassie's sweet and amusing house mates.

It had been decided on Monday evening that after the incident at breakfast and with the continuing poor attitude of their fellow Gryffindors toward them, that she and Hermione should stay in Psycho Freak tower. Susan had seemed only too pleased with this arrangement and when they all headed up to bed that night Charli had found out why. The red head was fairly giddy as she explained that she and Cassie would sleep together so that the two Gryffindors could share her, now vacant, four poster bed. This made Charli more than a little giddy herself and she and Susan had bonded somewhat over an extended 'jumping for joy' session while the other girls were tending to their bathroom necessities before bed. What had followed had been the greatest night of her life up to that point. Nothing she had ever done had felt so right and so natural as waking up with the semi naked form of Hermione Granger wrapped tightly around her equally unclothed torso. Oh yes. Giddy indeed.

The days had continued in this fashion with the two of them basically being adopted by the fifth house. They ate together, did homework together, in Cassie and Charli's case did their detentions together, relaxed together and at the end of it all slept together. It was a glorious, wonderful five days and nights for the last of the Potters made all the better by the fact that these lovely sweet natured girs, so feared and hated by the rest of the school, had made them feel so welcome. Hermione certainly wasn't excluded or side lined by any of them, indeed the younger Freaks in particuar thought she was absolutely the coolest of the cool for standing up to that bullying bastard Ron Weasley. He might be _their_ Ginny's brother, they had said, but he was still a git. Bless her, Hermione hadn't really known what to do at first, never having been looked up to by anyone before, but quickly decided that she had an opportunity to convey her love of all things educational to some fresh young minds. Despite this, they still seemed to love her anyway.

Charli smiled at the memory and blessed whatever gods had brought her to this pass, living with her sister and Cassie's extended family with a sleepy, snuggly, beautiful, bushy haired witch curled up against her. If she died right now she would have no regrets. She was safe in the arms of her wonderful Hermione. As if sensing her thoughts, the bushy haired witch in question shifted position, rubbing her face deeper into Charli's modest cleavage and murmuring sleepily.

"Mmmmmmm. Super, snuggly, Charli boobies. Ahhhhh."

A satisfied sigh and a light, cute snore signified the end of the muggle born genius' ramblings for the evening as she drifted off to sleep again. The excited girl tried desperately not to squeal out loud in pleasure at this welcome, if sub-conscious, development in her and Hermione's friendship and/or relationship. Yes! It was happening. All Charli had to do now was wait her out and try not to fuck it up by being too much of a stalkerish spaz. She snorted in a very un-ladylike manner. Yeah 'cause _that_ was going to happen.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	24. Chapter 24

**After a few weeks off to get Black Madness completed and to recharge my batteries a bit, we're back up and running. Sorry for makng you all wait so long, hopefully this will be worth the delay. Also my new job means that I have a bit more time to write so we shoud be hitting more regular updates now for both this and the recently re-started Fortunate Son.**

 **To say thank-you for your patience and for all the lovely reviews I've decided to reward you with a Hogsmeade fluff overload chapter before we get down to the business of the Tri-wizard Tournament. You're very welcome.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **24\. The Village Green Preservation Society**

It was five weeks into the new term, the first weekend of October and life had quickly settled down to steady routine for the girls of the Psycho Freak tower. The fact that this now included Charli Potter and Hermione Granger had come as a welcome surprise for all of them. The school itself, it seemed had agreed with Cassie's decision to adopt the two girls into the fifth House and had magically changed their robes and schedules accordingly, prompting a visit from professor Sinistra. The faculty head of the Psycho Freaks was not exactly surprised at this turn of events after hearing about the fight in the Great Hall, following the Daily Prophet's expose on the Black heiress' sexual preferences. It was only a matter of time before somebody said something stupid and started off an argument and the resulting mayhem and violence from the super protective Cassie was no shock at all. The headmaster, of course, had been livid about it all, dragging her in to his office and demanding that Miss Potter be returned to Gryffindor immediately. Aurora, noting that no mention was made of Miss Granger, pointed out that Hogwarts itself had chosen and that she had neither the power nor the right to go against the ancient castle's obvious wishes. And neither did he. Not that it would stop him trying, she thought darkly.

Aurora had found something of a mentor and tentative friend in the stern deputy headmistress and had gone to her with her concerns for the girls' safety. Upon her relating these events to Minerva, the young professor had been taken to the dungeons for a clandestine meeting with Severus Snape and Filius Flitwick at which she was introduced to the all of the old man's previous machinations in regard to her students. She listened in horror to all that was revealed and did not hesitate for even one second in offering to join the Albus Dumbledore Retirement Committee.

Unaware of such momentous decisions the girls of the Freak tower accepted their new house mates with alacrity and carried on their daily life in the usual manner, drawing the newcomers in ever more tightly. There were many discussions on life, the universe and everything in between. As for their schoolwork, depending on which one of them was asked and for which subject, classes ranged from being difficult and interminably dull to the most entertaining and fun thing that could possibly be had in Hogwarts. But today all thoughts of education were banished in favour of the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year. Even swotty Granger was excited and had decided to forgo her time with the books to just be with her new frends and explore the magical village together. Charli and Cassie had also been unusually careful in avoiding detentions in the previous week so that they too would be allowed to go with the rest of the house. So everything was set for a grand day out. Until Cassie remembered the first years. There was no way that the over protective green eyed witch was going to leave them to fend for themselves in a castle full of possible enemies. She would not leave them to be bullied. Cassie was determined.

 **I'm not leaving them here alone. You'll have to go without me.**

The three glum, wide eyed girls managed to look much younger than their eleven years as the disappointed faces of the older girls and especially Susan were displayed. None of them wanted to disrupt the first official, public outing of their beloved Cassie and her red headed date. Unfortunately for everyone involved the raven haired goddess of chaos was in no mood to compromise. Her girls would not be left alone and no amount of tearful pleading or cajoling was going to change her mind on this matter. As usual Hermione had the answer and ducked out un-noticed to the dungeons in the middle of the argument to find the only teacher at Hogwarts that Cassie would trust with her girls.

In the end both professors Snape and Sinistra had decided to keep the first years company while the older girls, including Cassie, went off to Hogsmeade. As much as the Astronomy instructor and her Potions counterpart insisted that it wasn't the case, they were both secretly thrilled to be spending some quality time with the younger Freaks. While they each had their favourites among the first years both of the stoic teachers found that any time spent in the presence of any of the sweet girls helped to engage them and pull them out of their own, often times dark, thoughts. Plus any action that elevated them in the mind of the scariest little witch in school was well worth the effort. It didn't do well to be on the wrong side of Casandra Evans-Black.

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Five of the excitable young ladies of the Psycho Freak house piled into the first available carriage in a tangle of limbs and robes and only when they were settled did they notice that Cassie had not immediately joined them. The silent girl stood in front of their conveyance appearing to pat and caress the empty air itself. Susan was about to ask her what she was doing when she realised. Threstrals. The green eyed girl had a very special relationship with the dark, skeletal, winged horses which may have been due to the fact that she had spent a great many of her evening detentions mucking them out and feeding them. Of course it could just be that she was one of the very few students in the castle who was actually capable of seeing and interracting with them. She stood there dark and resplendant in her black jeans and jumper, topped off with her stylish new trenchcoat, the colour of midnight in winter and her tall heeled boots. Susan's breath caught as she gazed upon the stunning beauty of the 'girl-who-lived' relaxing with her equine friends. Once back in the carriage the serious discussion the day's itinerary was brought up.

"Okay. Where to first then girls."

"We dont want to cramp your style Suze. You know, your and Cassie's first proper date as girlfriends and all that, you shouldn't be worried about us lot dragging along."

 **No. We stick together out here. Anyway Padfoot and Moony are buying us lunch at the Three Broomsticks and I want to spend some time showing my sister around today as well.**

"Not much of a date is it." Susan muttered grumpily.

 **Oh I'll be sure to make some time for you my special cuddly angel.**

In a rather impressive feat of facial contorsion Cassie managed to both smirk and pout at the same time as she leapt into a surprised Susan Bones' lap and laid her head cutely against the taller girl's shoulder. The black haired girl started nuzzling into her girlfriend's neck layering light butterfly kisses along her jaw line. The suddenly very distracted red head gazed suspiciously into the the impossibly large, warm and wet looking, emerald green eyes of the adorable but infuriating girl in her arms. She knew that when Cassie gave her the 'big puppy eyes' treatment it was either the prelude to a very good day with lots of snuggles or the fact that she was trying to get a head start on apologising for a very, very bad one. Susan sighed and decided that whatever was the case today she might as well enjoy the extra cudddles and snogging that it brought.

Hermione kept her gaze directed at the floor for the duration of their shared carriage ride to the magical village so as to avoid having to watch the two girls exchanging kisses and light, loving touches. She had gotten much better at accepting their relationship over the last couple of weeks or so, and the two of them were incredibly cute together it was true, but it still didn't make it any easier for her to watch. It was unfortunately necessary, however, given the fact that it didn't look as if either her or Charlotte were going to be returning to Gryffindor tower any time soon. If ever. Not that she even really wanted to. She felt a soft, warm hand slide into her own and intertwining fingers give a firm but gentle squeeze. A somewhat involuntary smile touched the corners of her mouth at the sweet gesture by her new friend. The Irish witch had become her one true solace over the heartbreaking situation with Cassie and was a constant and reassuring presence in every aspect of her school life.

It was quite surprising how quickly the brghtest witch of her age had accepted Charli into her life given her almost pathological need for solitude and distrust of others, but the last of the Potters had been an absolute revelation to her. In the girl who shared her classes, her love of reading and learning, her mealtimes and even her bed, Hermione had found something of a soulmate. Not that either of them would have put it that way. Well Charli might have but then she was rather ... _strange_. Not psychotic, creepy strange like Cassie was but in a much more subdued and gentle way. And then of course there was the obvious fact that Charlotte Potter was head over heels in love with her. This had become clear to Hermione over the course of the first few weeks of their friendship as she had become less and less obsessed by the 'girl-who-lived' and Charli's own feelings had become more and more apparent. It had given her a little pause sharing a bed with a girl who so clearly wanted to shag her senseless but Charli had behaved with enough restraint to set her mind at ease. And lately, if she were being honest with herself, her own thoughts and feelings when the two of them were curled up half naked in bed were less than pure in nature. As she pulled her feelings away from one of James Potter's daughters, Hermione found herself getting closer to the other.

Ginny and Luna sat facing each other and chuckling at the relative discomfort and embarrassment that was rife in the over crowded carriage. There were more blushes and squeaks being exhibited than either of them had seen in ages. Although Ginny was less than pleased with the idea that there was going to another clearly monumental struggle to get the former Gryffindor library queen and Cassie's sister to stop pissing around and just accept that they were in love with each other. The sheer amount of pussy footing that Cass and Suzie had done last year had nearly driven her up the wall and she wasn't looking forward to doing it all over again. It made for an interesting ride to start off the Psycho Freak's first Hogsmeade visit of the year as the only one them who seemed to be totally oblivious to all of the surrupticious, annoyed and heated glances being exchanged was Cassie.

Honeydukes was the first stop and as usual when Cassie went anywhere the place instantly emptied, resulting in a glare from the proprietor and lots of space for them to choose whatever they wanted. The six of them ooh-ed and aah-ed over all the weird and wonderful varieties of candies on offer, spending a good hour over their selections and engaging in a heated argument over what Cerys, Juliette and Mathilde would like best. They certainly weren't going to be leaving without getting some goodies for their young house mates. When they finally made it back on to the high street to a muttered 'Thank Merlin' from the increasingly grumpy owner of the establishment, a grinning Luna dived immediately into her huge bag of sugary delights.

"Wheeee!"

The young blonde lunatic was on a masive sugar rush and was literally running rings around the other girls as they made their way slowly down from Honeydukes.

"It was probably a mistake to hit the sweet shop first."

Despite her resigned tone Susan had a wide smile on her face watching Luna Lovegood chasing her ginger best friend in tight circles, giggling and shrieking with unadulterated delight. The exhuberant blonde had a wonderfull ability to bring out the lighter side in the Freaks. There were no frowns being worn, no heavy talk or exam stress just six girls having a great deal of fun. Today was a good day. She brought her and Cassie's entwined hands up to her lips and planted a soft, sweet kiss on her girlfriend's delicate fingers with a happy sigh. Just then their hyperactive blonde friend ran full pelt into a tall, proud, purple robed figure sending both of them crashing to the ground.

"Supid girl, why don't you watch where you're ... oh. Cousin Cassandra."

The poised and arstocratic figure of Narcissa Malfoy paused in the middle of berating the small blonde girl who had knocked her over as she caught sight of her amused looking relative. Knowing from their earlier meetings just how fast Cassie could swing from mildly amused to violently angry the older woman decided to err on the side of caution. She now looked at Luna speculatively and proceeded to carefully brush the dirt from the bright eyed girl, sensing an opportunity to ingratiate herself with her once removed first cousin and smiled. Draco narrowed his eyes and wondered what his mother was doing now.

"I take it that this lovely and ... exhuberant young lady belongs to you?" At Cassie's nod of affirmation she stroked the silky hair of her wriggly little captive and broadened her smile a touch. "Well isn't she just _adorable_."

With the tell-tale softening of Cassie's eyes she knew that she had scored a hit. As a member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, not to mention the great Walburgia's niece, Nacissa Malfoy always had one eye on ways to increase her family's influence. So if playing nice with cousin Sirius' heir and her friends gained them a little favour in the future she would do it in a heartbeat. Only an idiot would put blood purity over power, influence and money. Glancing at her son's scowling face she realised that he was that idiot. Damn Lucius for teaching him all that rubbish. Now she was going to have to spend time rectifying that mistake. Not one to push her luck Narcissa decided to quit while she was ahead.

"Well Cassandra we have to be off. Things to do, you know how it is I'm sure. It was so nice to meet you all ladies. Draco, say goodbye to your cousin."

The stunned girls watched as the aristocratic woman and her muttering, scowling son moved off.

"Wow she was nice wasn't she."

 **Not really Lulu, no.**

"Oh. Is it lunch time yet?"

They all broke up laughing as the confused young woman with chocolate smeared all around her mouth and the bottomless pit of a stomach followed up her total lack of understanding of Mrs Malfoy's motives with her innocent question.

In the Three Broomsticks an hour later the laughter continued as Cassie and Susan related their high street run in with the Malfoys to Sirius and Remus. The permanent residents of Twelve Grimmuald place howled at the perspicacity and obvious insincerity of the woman. They also noticed how the two girls hands never strayed far one from the other. Cassie and Susan were always touching in some way. And they weren't the only only ones. Luna and Ginny and even Charli and Hermione, it appeared, were in the same boat. Constant and intimate contact seemed to be the order of the day. It was such unbelievably cute behaviour from the couple and the nearly couples but this was not going to stop the two men from teasing the girls mercilessly about it. Remus Lupin looked between the two raven haired girls and their blushing, embarrassed companions and tipped them a wink.

"I see that you're both taking your responsibilities as a Black and a Potter seriously then."

Cassie breathed on her finger nails before making a show of polishing them on the lapel of her stylish black coat with a smirk on her ruby lips while Charli just smiled lasciviously. The green eyed girl's adopted father gave a brief snort and grinned at the girl. Remus was right, she really was a chip off of the old block. Both he and James had, let's say, _reputations_ as ladies men when they were younger, something that they had tried to hide from Lily Evans as they had individually vied for her attentions. She, of course, had known every single thing thing about every single indiscretion. Thoughts of better days and his one time old friend made him smile as he regarded the man's daughters. Born within a week of each other, both of them with James' shit eating grin and also apparently his taste in women. Blondes may have more fun but not with Jim Potter. It was brunettes and red heads all the way for Mr Potter and his girls seemed to have inherited that particular trait from him. Sirius was brought out of his musings by a finger tapping on his knee. He looked up in to Cass' emerald eyes as she started to sign.

 **Here, these are for you.**

Cassie, half regretfully, passed her two thirds full box of special, herbal cigarettes over to Sirius. She held on to the box tightly for a few seconds the two Blacks had a little tug of war beore she let it go with a pained expression, causing her adopted father to hit himself in the teeth with it. Her reluctance wasn't feigned. She really didn't want to give them up. Unfortunately her girlfriend was turning out to be less than impressed with Cassie's new habit and was subtly forcing her hand over the issue. Now normally this would have only made the Black heiress more determined to keep it up but her Suzie could be downright scary when she thought that her girlfriend was doing something that was detrimental to her health. The red head didn't like the way that Cass had become so reliant on the little white sticks and had convinced her to try an alternative method of coping with stress. One that didn't make her smell like an ashtray. It was a no brainer for the girl. A happy Susan meant an easy life and what with her reward of ... _enhanced_ snuggles stress had become a thing of the past for her.

"Ah Cass my angel I shall enjoy these almost as much as I enjoy the thought of you being thoroughly house broken and pussy whipped."

The chuckling man flicked his wrist and gave a brilliantly accurate impression of a bull whip cracking. Remus joined in and the two of them fell about laughing again. Susan decided that some vigorous defence of her beautiful and obedient girlfriend was definitely in order.

"Just so you know Aunt Amelia's going to make you give those up as well."

Sirius choked on his wine and sputtered out.

"What? I ... I have no idea what you're ..."

"You've been using her shampoo. I can smell it on you. And sooner or later she's going to make you stop."

Still smarting that the totally straight faced Susan had figured out about his overnight stays with her Aunt, Sirius sighed heavily and passed the box to remus. In his younger days he would have tried to argue the toss but now he knew better. It had taken a lot of years for him to learn that women have all the power in any relationship and all arguing ever did was to delay the inevitable and piss them off even more. He wasn't _that_ stupid.

Having conducted the business and mickey taking section of the meeting, lunch got under way and the eight of them set to with a vengence. They exchanged stories of schoolwork, sporting prowess, pranking and travelling. Sirius even threw in a couple of prison anecdotes much to Cassie's delight, and shouts of 'don't drop the soap!' startled the other customers and amused them no end. Too soon, however, it was time for the boys to leave and they hugged all of the girls, promising to visit again when the next Hogsmeade trip came up. Almost the second they had stepped through the floo Cassie grabbed her girlfriend's hand and ran full pelt for Gladrags. She wanted to finish the day by doing something very special for Suzie and considering how great the red head had been all day she was going to give her a very special reward. The wizarding clothes store was thrilled to have the business of the Black heiress had been only too happy to accomodate her by ordering some muggle clothing for Cassie. She was equally thrilled to be modelling a selection of her racy new underwear for her lovely girlfriend. A secret that was only shared by them and a woman called Victoria.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

It was another Saturday night and another party in Psycho Freak tower. This time, however, there were two extra bodies. Hermione Granger and Charlotte Potter were shocked, amused and thrilled in roughly equal amounts at the riotous behaviour that was occuring within these walls tonight. The fact that the deputy headmistress was in attendance and doing absolutely nothing to curtail the various activities that broke at least four school rules that she could see was only adding to Hermione's general amazement. Indeed at the moment she and professor Sinistra were drinking butter beer and laughing along with everyone else at Cassie's python as he chased and attempted to trip up Mathilde's tiny cat who was responding with playful jumps and clawless bats to the snake's head. Life as a member of the Psycho Freaks was turning out to be a great deal of fun. If Charli had known that her sister's House of Freaks was going to be this good she would have argued harder with the sorting hat to be put here in the first place.

A rare sight greeted Charlotte Potter as she returned from the bathroom later that evening. Little Cerys Williams, the eternally gloomy girl who was nearly as quiet as Cassie, was smiling. Not a small smile either. The grin that split her face was huge as she was enthusiastically twirled and tossed around the room to a fast, muggle punk song by her fellow Welsh girl. Hopped up on sugared candy treats (carefully regulated and distributed by the ever watchful Hermione) and secure in the arms of Charli's sister, Cerys was actually squealing in excitement. This was something that none of them had ever witnessed before and they were all stunned by it. In her opinion this was Cassie's most powerful magic, not the wandless casting or the elementalism but the power she had to make them all smile. The power of her love.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Cassie was awakened by someone shaking her lightly on the shoulder. Opening one eye she glared at the vaguely recogniseable blur who had dared to disturb her from her fun dream in which she had been enjoying some rather adult activities with her girlfriend. The dampness of the skimpy, but comfortable, new satin and lace underwear that she wore instead of the more traditional nightgown commmon in the wizarding world, stood testament to just how fun and how realistic those dream activities had been. Wandlessly summoning her glasses to sit on her nose, which she had gotten rather good at considering how many times she had woken in a hospital bed, Cassie raised a sculpted eyebrow in obvious and silent question. The pyjamed and bath robed figure of Juliette Jones smiled nervously at her senior and proffered the well laden breakfast tray that she was carrying. The beaming smile with which she was rewarded for this action made the younger girl go all giddy, a state that was not helped when Cassie sat up in bed putting her impressively growing assets on full, public display. The sudden movement woke her bed mate who took one look at the semi naked exhibitionist next to her and chuckled throatilly.

"Cass, love, do stop teasing the poor girl. She looks like she's going to explode."

Taking pity on the poor embarrassed first year and not particularly wanting to share her girlfriend's gorgeous body with anyone else she decided to bring some propriety to the proceedings. Sitting up and pulling the sheet with her to cover Cassie's naked breasts, Susan took the breakfast tray and kissed her lightly on the cheek so as not to emit too much morning breath.

"It's safe for you to look now Jules, the puppies are in the pen."

Juliette squeaked out her thanks and fairly ran from the room, blushing like a radish all the way. Susan fixed the raven haired lovely with a stern glare.

"That poor girl, you're such a beast. You know you really should wear more to bed if the girls are going to be doing this kind of thing on a regular basis."

 **I didn't hear any complaints last night when you were playing with my 'puppies' when you thought I was asleep, Suze.**

"I didn't ... I wasn't."

She did and she was but Susan had thought that Cass was passed out after her long day of excitement and strenuous fun and would never know about her perverted meanderings across her fun bags. It now turned out that the sneaky little bitch had been awake all along. The thought of exacting some kind of excruciating revenge popped into into her head before she realised that far from complaining about her wandering hands Cassie was actually rather pleased with her. Oh. Well _that_ certainly got her thinking about just how far the two of them would be prepared to go in their phisical explorations. Up until last night all they had done ws some fairly heated snogging but now that they had broached the subject, so to speak, she thought that they should have a conversation about setting some ... _boundaries_. For both of them.

 **So after breakfast I thought we could take a bath together.**

Orange juice squirted from the shocked and spluttering Susan's nose as the liquid attempted to find it's way down her airway. She wiped away the juce and snot from her face and blushed an impressive shade of scarlet as she looked into those mischievous, emerald green orbs and muttered repeatedly to herself. Yeah boundaries. Definitely needed to talk about those.

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 **Aaargh. Super fluff overload. Help me I'm melting!**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	25. Chapter 25

**The schools are here, the goblet is lit and the mayhem is about to start. It's time for a little less introspection and a little more action as Elvis Presley would say. Kind of. Anyway, on with the show. Dragons, duels, mermaids and mazes. This should be a fun old ride.**

 **Oh and a very quick thank-you to guest Nikki who left such a lovely review.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **25\. Light My Fire**

October saw a flurry of activity as the girls of the Hogwarts' fifth house hit top gear in their research of the rules of compliance in regards to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The younger members of the house were unclear as to why all of their seniors were so convinced that Cassie's name would come out of the Goblet of Fire but threw themselves into helping out anyway. The first years had all been given many reasons to trust their house mates, they had been protected, tutored and entertained by these girls and had no hesitation in offering their services. However limited they may be. It wasn't long before the three girls had become a permanent fixture in the library as 'Hermione's little helpers', fetching and carrying books and old editions of newspapers for their beloved bushy haired role model. This caused a great deal of amusement among the other girls although the teasing was kept to a minimum as the effectiveness and efficiency of the Granger group could not be doubted. And yet even with this resource they could not come up with a concrete and useable way to extricate Cassie should her name be selected. It was all very frustrating. They needed help.

Severus Snape sat in the comfortable study area of the Psycho Freak tower and looked over the group of inquisitive girls arrayed before him. The Hogwarts library was not exactly equipped for the type of research that the black robed young women were engaged in currently and they should know, after days of fruitless searching. They had finally approached him for assistance. Although he knew that their families would also be tasked with gathering information about the legalities of the upcoming tournament, he was still thrilled to be considered for this important task. Honestly he had been feeling more and more useless as Cassie grew into the powerful young witch that now sat, cross legged, in front of him. He wasn't needed to help her out nearly as much these days and, even though he knew he shouldn't, he regretted that fact. The dark and dour potions professor made up for it by keeping up with her extra detentions as a way to spend more time with the amusing girl, her pet snake and sometimes her strange sister.

Charlotte Potter. Yes now there was an enigma. Having already been through the gamut of emotions that Cassie's arrival had sparked when she had came to the castle three years ago Severus was a great deal more prepared to deal with his old enemy's second daughter. He didn't struggle, as he had with Cassie, with his conflicting feelings over the fact of her extremely sweet, playful nature held against the memories of his mis-treatment at the hands of her hated father. The most telling thing in her favour, of course, was that her sister clearly adored her. Cassandra Evans-Black did not suffer either fools or bullies (Sirius and Remus aside) and the fact that Charlotte was still alive and kicking after nearly two months living in close proximity to the scary young witch spoke volumes about her character. As far as he was concerned the new girl was acceptable in her work but no more and certainly didn't have the connection with him that Cassie did but he still found her fairly amusing and intelligent. Oh and her accent was just darling. Not that he would hever admit that to anyone.

So his help was a given. It was also much more in depth and broad in it's scope than what they alone had managed. Severus did, after all, have access to a great deal of powerful and somewhat more shady individuals and groups than the school girls. He had even tentatively raised the subject with the Dark Lord, risking a crucio for his impudence, and although he was shut down pretty quickly and told in no uncertain terms to leave it alone he was rewarded with aid from an unlikely source. Pettigrew had caught him on his way to the wards and slipped the information that Voldemort himself had ordered Cassie's involvement. The rat animagus hadn't volunteered anything else even though he clearly had more to tell but Severus knew when to stop pushing. Wormtail was uncharacteristically placing himself in danger to assist him and, by extension, the girl-who-lived. It was an act that had him more than a little intrigued by the rank coward's motives. It seemed as if Cassie was caught up in the plans of not one, but two old and powerful wizards. For some reason both Voldemort and Dumbledore wanted the girl entered in this tournament and they would never be able to keep her out of it. Not that he would tell Cassie that. Hope was a powerful but fragile ally and he was loathe to take it from her. Better to tell the girl that he hadn't found a way to help than to remove her hope.

He gave a rare, thin smile to the young witches and accepted a cup of tea before giving them some direction as to which areas of study or which books would be the most useful. He knew that they wouldn't find anything but it so warmed his hard old heart to see them filled with such purpose that he simply couldn't deny them. He really was turning revoltingly soft in his middle age.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Being forced to stand outside for hours in the chilly late October evening was not exactly endearing the members of Psycho Freak house to either their headmaster or the visitng schools for whom they were waiting. Okay so the flying carriage was kind of cool and the ship that could travel between any two bodies of water was bloody awesome (It was like the coolest pirate ship she had ever seen) but hanging around all this time just to see a bunch of seventeen year olds wrapped up in furs, scarves and coats was not improving her mood. There was one thing that caught her attention and made it all worthwhile though and that was the beautiful, giant, flying horses of Beaubaxtons. Pretty girls were all very nice but she saw those every day. Gorgeous, fifteen foot tall, blinding white pegasus', however, wasn't something you came across very often in life. Cassie was utterly enraptured by the creatures and she made up her mind to pay them a visit as soon as it was possible for her to do so. She, quite literally, had to be pulled away from her 'at a distance' examination of the great, winged equines by her house mates.

Cassie led the Freaks back into the warmth of the castle and had just managed to get them all seated and sorted before the Durmstrang students entered and went through their posturing and posing. She rolled her eyes at the strutting, smelly boys and their creepy looking headmaster and made an extremely rude gesture which involved her hand and her tongue in the side of her mouth. This action resulted in roar of hooting, honking laughter from the witches at the table in the centre of the great hall and prompted disapproving looks from their official visitors and teachers. Well most of their teachers anyway. Professors Snape and Sinistra, who had both caught Cassie's pornographic little mime, appeared to be trying very hard not to giggle along with the black robed girls. Aurora sent her a disapproving look, for the benefit of the headmaster while tipping her a subtle wink.

Next to enter were the dancing beauties that were the Beaubaxton's girls. Now this was considerably more interesting for Cassie. A couple of dozen pretty, seventeen year old witches in tight, pale blue, silk uniforms, spinning and showing off their fabulous tanned and toned legs as they passed by. They looked a whole lot better now that they had shed their scarves and overcoats. Yes, for a connosseur of the female form such as she was this was much more like it. She risked a quick glance at her girlfriend and thankfully saw nothing more than amusement in Suzie's warm brown eyes. Cassie gave her a cute, chagrined grin, embarrassed at having been caught checking out other girls.

"It's alright love, I don't mind you looking. Just no touching okay."

 _"You are so busted Mistress."_

 _"Oh shut up Shortie."_

She could swear that bloody snake was laughing at her again.

 _"Mistress Red has you sooo whipped."_

 _"Hang on when did Suzie become mistress Red rather my red headed strumpet and where the hell did you pick up the expression 'whipped' from."_ She thought about that for a brief moment before coming to an inescapable conlusion. _"Bloody Sirius."_

 _"Yes little Cass the dog father can be most amusing. Oh and Miss Bones became mistress Red when she became your mate."_

 _"You know I'm not above making you into a handbag, git."_

The black haired girl was tickling Shortcake in revenge for his impudence and pondering his comments on Susan being her mate. She decided that it was probably just an issue with the translation and that the snake had been using the term in it's purely animal sense rather than referencing any magical creature bonding rites. At least she bloody well hoped so. They had enough problems this year, what with coming out to the world and her more than probable illegal entry into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, without adding in the stigma that came with having creature blood. It was at this point in her ruminations that Cassie looked up and realised that all of the visitors to the castle were staring at her. Oh crap. Not this again. She had forgotten that people who didn't know her got all bent out of shape just because she could speak to snakes, it wasn't like she had killed anybody. Well okay she had killed a few people but they had like really, _really_ deserved it. Still this was getting bloody annoying now and her nerves, already on edge due to her failure to find a loophole in the tournament rules of entry, finally snapped. The great python wrapped itself around her shoulders and the girl and her snake stood to glare about the hall. Suddenly jumping up and stalking down the table she met every eye directed at her with that creepy, chilling green stare.

Cassie's mood had rather swiftly moved from amusement to a cold fury at the rude, gawking foreigners and officials and her progress along the dinner table was leaving frosty footprints that crackled as she walked. There were very few in the great hall who had the power or the will to return her furious gaze and those that did quickly wished that they hadn't. Her elemental power was leaking from her in flashing, blue sparks racing across her robes and a multitude of spiders webs of frost breaking out up her tall, heeled leather boots. Irritation with being stared at and despised, yet again, had turned to anger which had fast morphed in it's turn to an all consuming rage. Hermione held on to Charlotte's hand in a death grip as she watched the twitching, scowling girl release her magic across the hall. This was the Cassie that she remembered from the bathroom in her first year, the rage filled, psychotic Cassie that scared the absolute crap out of the muggle born witch. And everyone else if they had any sense. Charli just held onto Hermione's hand and gawked, open mouthed at her powerful little (only by a week) sister, not in fear, but in admiration. But then, nobody had ever accused her of having much in the way of sense.

Susan Bones was becoming increasingly nervous. After what looked to be a fun little chat with her python, Cassie had reacted _badly_ to the whispers and the stares that this conversation had sparked. As she saw the sparks arcing and jumping across her girlfriends body Susan acted before she snapped and hurt someone. Or worse. She followed Cassie's icy footsteps swiftly down the table to where the girl was snarling and facing off against a huge, belligerent but shocked looking woman who she assumed was the Beaubaxton's headmistress. The tall red head came up slowly behind her girlfrend, lightly and carefully wrapped her arms around the shaking young woman and, taking a deep breath, whispered calming words in her ear. Shortcake, signalling his approval for her actions slid out and around to envelop the two of them, tightening his muscly coils to hold them together. As Susan settled her raven haired sweetheart back into her and muttered words of love and reassurance, she allowed her lips to brush along Cassie's neck further soothing her. Feeling the stiff and tense shoulder muscles gradually starting to relax she held on to the Black heiress for a couple of minutes more before turning and leading the now compliant and downcast girl back to her seat.

Not a single sound was heard in the hall apart from the soft footsteps of the two fourth years. They had all heard the rumours of course, but it really didn't prepare you for actually seeing someone, firstly speaking in parseltongue and then exhibiting the awesomely powerful elemental magics of the ancients. Having now experienced this, it was not something that any of them were in much of a hurry to see again. The only exception to this was the tallest, prettiest and perhaps blondest member of the Beaubaxtons delegation. Fleur Delacour found herself to be quite impressed and also rather ... _interested_.

"Well if Miss Evans-Black is done with her little drama? Let's move on shall we."

Dumbledore kept his grandfatherly smile in place while he admonished his most dangerous student very gently for the benefit of their guests. Inside he was seething. Not only had she somehow managed to circumvent the sorting hat's original decision and recruit Potter into her abonimable house but the little bitch had now seriously embarrassed him in front of the Ministry and the visiting schools. Of course she had also embarrassed herself with her inability to keep that infamous temper of hers in check. It was now almost a given that everyone who mattered would believe that she had entered herself in the tournament after tonight's little display of pique. They would think her a hot headed attention seeker who was powerful and egotistical enough to cheat her way into the contest. Honestly she couldn't have screwed herself over any better if she had planned it. Good mood thoroughly re-established he chuckled under his breath as he introduced and welcomed the competing schools to Hogwarts and explained, once more, the rules and protections which his Defence against the Dark Arts professor was hopefully about to successfully bypass.

The psuedo professor in question was sitting back in his chair and watching all of the fuss and hubbub with a twitching scowl pinned to his face, masking his utter delight at a truly wonderful evening's entertainment. He was honestly feeling a bit bad for the girl-who-lived, having got a glimpse during their defence lessons as to just how clever and how interesting she was. Cassie was also a great deal of fun to teach, her enthusiasm and skill for the subject, along with her wicked sense of humour, had him in real trouble trying to keep up his grumpy Moody impression. All he wanted to do was laugh along with her and her friends at some poor schmuck's misfortune as he was hexed into submission or shocked with lightning from her fingers. And as for her temper. Oh my. That was just delicious. As the girl herself had just so very recently and explicitly demonstrated. If only he had been born a couple of decades later he thought that he could have seen himself working for her instead of Voldemort. Barty Junior was that convinced that she would be the next Dark Lady. Well if she managed to survive this tournament that he was about to enter her for anyway. Not that that was likely. Oh he had no concerns about the tasks themselves. No it was what would come for her at the end of it all that he was worried about. Regret for the girl once again resurfaced as he fingered the stolen Hogsmeade permission slip in his pocket.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

It was all quiet in the Psycho Freak sitting room. The nine students and their faculty head sat around in the comfortable chairs nursing their large mugs of hot chocolate that Winky had prepared for them all.

"Well. That _could_ have gone worse I suppose."

 **How?**

"Susan could have failed to get to you in time and you could have caused an international incident by slaughtering fifty invited foreign guests in front of a former auror, two Ministry representatives and half the British press corps."

Ginny deadpanned her response and was rewarded by the first real smile to emanate from Cassie's face since the _incident_ in great hall earlier this evening. It wasn't destined to last too long, however, as the silent girl's dark mood returned all too quickly. The Black heiress was more than aware that she had made a very substantial and very dangerous mistake tonight. Of all the times to let her anger get the better of her why did it have to be then. It wasn't like she wasn't used to people staring and whispering at her. The consequences of her outburst would pretty much seal her fate when her name was pulled from that manky bloody cup. Shit, shit, shit. All of their effort over the past weeks had been wasted just because she couldn't keep her damned temper under control. Her adoptive grand mother, Walburgia, was always telling her to reign in her emotional responses and to keep a cool head and the old bat was going to have an absolute bloody field day with this one.

 **Sorry for making you do all that hard work for nothing girls.**

She looked so uncharacteristically forlorn and tearful that her house mates were completely undone. There was a rush of bodies as all eight witches threw themselves on top of the now bemused young woman. Assaulted with tickles and hugs and kisses, Cassie's dour demeanour broke at last. She might be forced into this tournament through a combination of the white bearded old tosser's manipuations and her own stupidity but at least she wouldn't have to go through it alone. She had her weird friends, her weird family and her brilliant and beautiful, but also pretty weird, girlfriend to help and support her. She smiled to herself freeing one of her arms from underneath the witches piled on top of her and manoevered herself so that she could give a good, hard pinch to the closest bum. The resulting squeal and squirm brought her momentary relief from the tickling as well as a good deal of malevolent satisfaction. Unfortunately for Cassie this also escalated the tickle war considerably. Apparenty somebody was a biter.

Aurora Sinistra stood in the doorway with Severus and smiled as the Freaks teased and played with their unofficial leader. At least the girl was looking a lot less suicidal now. At one point of the evening Cassie had made the always gloomy first year Cerys Williams look like the life and soul of the party. It was hardly surprising though, given the events in the great hall tonight. The Astronomy professor was still amazed at how fast the raven haired teen could go from being the bored and slightly amused young witch to the terrifying rage filled monster that had frightened poor old Madame Maxime so badly. Not that the old cow didn't deserve it for getting all snotty about one of _her_ students. To be fair Aurora could understand the reaction if the woman had been totally unaware of all the issues surrounding the girl-who-lived, but the French headmistress would certainly have known. There was no way that she wouldn't have extensively researched the staff and students of her competition in a contest of the size and prestige of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. So she had known. Which just made her reaction provocative, over the top and downright bloody rude. In which case Aurora had no sympathy whatsoever as the giantess bitch had got preisely what she deserved.

By the time that the dark teacher had managed to stop herself sniggering at the memory of a scandalised and shit scared Olympe Maxime the house tickle fight had reached a startlingly loud climax. As voices were raised Aurora prepared to step in if things got too far out of hand. She needn't have worried.

"Luna did you just bite me on the bum?" Ginny enquired with a rather strained politeness.

"Hmmm. Oh yes. I did."

"May I ask why the bloody hell you found it necessary to do that.?" Again the strain was evident.

"Ummmm ... Nargles?"

This statement by the small blonde was accompanied by a loud snorting and huffing followed by a thump as Cassie fell off the arm of the sofa where she was, until recently, perched. It was at this point that a scowling Winky re-appeared and chivvied the mischievous little misses off to bed so that they would be well rested for their classes tomorrow and so she could repair the broken furniture.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Hermione Granger was compiling a fun (to her) new encyclopedia of the many different ways there were to avoid the entrance hall and it's alcove that housed the Goblet of Fire. It was a tactic adopted by the girls which they hoped could be used to either challenge the validity of the choice should (when) Cassie be revealed as a champion or to stem some of the tidal wave of scorn and hatred that she would face. It was a pretty forlorn hope, but hope all the same and, after Cassie's performance in the great hall the previous night, honestly a bit pointless. No-one was going to believe that she hadn't entered herself in the tournament. Still it kept her busy and gave her something to do, guiding the Freaks to and from their classes down seldom used corridors and passageways. Athough that was a bit like trying to herd cats as they did tend to wander off if their attention was caught by a new portrait or something interesting (or shiny in Luna's case). She felt a tug on her hand and turned to face her companion.

There she was. The beautiful, raven haired, emerald eyed goddess of chaos that until very recently had held all of Hermione's heart in her small delicate hands. And now Cassandra Evans-Black was leaning her head on the bright young witch's shoulder, looking straight into her eyes and kissing her tenderly on the cheek. She tried very hard not to squeal in delight as she accepted her first friend and first crush's soft, sumptuous lips onto her, now lightly sweating, skin.

 **Thank-you 'Mione.**

"Wha ... what for?"

 **For everything. I'm so glad to have you back.**

If she had died right then and there Hermione would have considered her life to be one well lived. After years of silence, heartache and brooding mistrust those two eleven year old girls, who had met on a train and sat to read together, seemed to finally be back to where they once were. How they would progress from here neither of the witches knew nor did they particularly care. Each of them were just glad to their old friend back in their lives and, as Scarlett O'Hara once said, tomorrow was another day.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

In the dilapidated mansion on top of the hill outside the village of Little Hangleton there was a great deal of excitement as a nondescript brown owl breached the wards and dropped it's cargo onto the tray of a childs high chair. Peter Pettigrew kept himself out of his currently minuature Lord's eyeline as the disgustingly gross Volde-baby fumbled with the parchment in case it was bad news. He was already in enough trouble after letting slip to Snape about the plans for Cassandra Evans and the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The psychopathic and power hungry pure blood supremacist may only be a tiny shadow of himself but he could still manage to inflict one hell of a wandless cruciatus when properly motivated. Two words and two initials were all that the parchment contained and yet, thankfully, it seemed to please the Dark Infant immensely.

 _ **It's done.**_

 _ **B.C**_

Volde-baby's arms flapped excitedly and his small hands clenched and unclenched while he cackled away gleefully. Finally, after all of the setbacks and disappointments of the summer, something was actually going his way. The Evans girl's name was in the cup and Barty Junior had assured him that, due to the charms that he had laid, she would definitely be selected to be the fourth champion. The plan to resurrect him to a more useable form was under way and within eight short months he would be free to ravage ... ahem ... _lead_ magical Britain once again. Swivelling his head to find a target the Dark baby celebrated by catching his servant wormtail in the arse with a crucio as the rat animagus made a panicked dash for the kitchen.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **I'm going to give a special mention to Citrus Sinensis here as her reviews praising my stories while taking me to task for small grammar and spelling mistakes have made my editing process a lot more thorough. I find myself suddenly caring much more about not disappointing her and you guys with silly mistakes. Also her song fic Candy and Champion Sacrifice is a truly wonderful piece of dark poetry. I love it.**

 **Oh yeah and she also pointed out that I've been spelling McGonagall wrong for the last year! Doh!**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	26. Chapter 26

**Here come the champions. Plotting and planning and training ahead. Our heroine and her friends are getting ready for the fight of their lives. As are their opponents.**

 **I recently replied to a review by DschingisKhan where they gave me a 'precociously gay/10'. Which I loved. Since then we've been engaged in a rather lovely chat about anything and everything. You do meet the best kind of people on this site.**

 **Speaking of which; Citrus Sinensis. My new goal in life is to make you run around squealing like Luna on a sugar high again. You're a lot of fun.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **26\. We are the Champions.**

There was much overt, excited chatter and surrupticious placing of bets in the Hogwarts great hall on the Halloween night feast. Virtually everyone was wondering who was going to be chosen to represent their respective schools in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The quiet and introspective Psycho Freak girls were possibly the only ones who weren't wondering, other than Dumbledore and the fake Moody, of course. They knew precisely who one of those unlucky teenagers was going to be. Strangely none of them seemed to be overly concerned as they chatted quietly to each other and listened with half an ear as the names were drawn from the magic cup.

"Viktor Krum."

Wild, raucous cheering and the sound of boots thumping on the hard floor.

"Fleur Delacour."

Enthralled, rapturous applause and multiple counts of swooning.

"Cedric Diggory."

This was probably the biggest cheer of the night. The Hufflepuff seeker really was incredibly popular within the school.

The applause was still ongoing as the tall, handsome young man disappeared into a side chamber with the other champions. And then the whole place went silent when an eerie glow began to pour from the goblet once again. Well, silent apart from a certain red head muttering from the Freaks table.

"Here we bloody go."

If you didn't know that Albus Dumbledore had had a major hand in arranging it, you could be forgiven for thinking that the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was shocked by the Goblet of Fire lighting up a fourth time. He really was that good of an actor. Didn't make him any less of a manipulative old tosser of course. Cassie glared back at his completely false 'mask of horror' while noticing that his eyes twinkled at her in malicious amusement. She really wanted to kill him. But right now she just wanted him to get the bloody hell on with it so that she could be done with this crap.

"Cassandra Evans-Black."

 **Fuck.**

Even with the total lack of surprise at her name being called the expletive still slipped out somehow. There was much head shaking and tutting from the Freaks table, only some of which was for Cassie's language, most being reserved for the situation in which their friend and leader now found herself. They had all been told over and over that this would happen but none of the first year Freaks had really believed that the headmaster would place one of his students in danger like this. Needless to say their opinion of the old man was taking a serious nose dive right about now.

"Miss Evans-Black. If you would care to join the other champions in the ante-chamber please."

Dumbedore raised his hand and indicated the side room that the others had disappeared into. The same one, incidentally, that she had used when Sirius and Remus had come to visit her earlier in the year. Cassie didn't move, preferring to simply stare at him over the top of her dark, oval lensed, rimless glasses.

"It was not a request young lady."

She smiled sweetly at him as his annoyance at her caused him to sharpen his normal grandfatherly tone which resulted in more shocked whispering than her name being pulled out of the Goblet of fire had. Deciding that there was no point in delaying the inevitable, she rose, slipped Shortcake from around her neck, kissed Susan tenderly on the lips for luck and made her way up to the front of the great hall. After the display of both her impressive power and her short temper the other night in this very place, you could have heard a pin drop tonight as Cassie sauntered across the hall. No-one in the student body was going to risk pissing her off today. They were all quite fond of their limbs and extremities apparently. The visiting dignitaries on the other hand looked as if they wanted to drag her through the streets and give her a public flogging.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Viktor Krum might have been a national hero and some kind of worldwide sporting superstar but Cassie's only thought was that he looked like he could be a total dick. His first heavily accented words confirmed that opinion to her beyond the shadow of a doubt.

"What do you want little girl."

She pulled her glasses down the bridge of her nose to peer nastilly over the top of them at the heavy set young man. He looked like a bully and a braggart and since Cassie wasn't exactly very keen on either of those qualities she gave him one of her infamous hard stares. Bearing in mind that following her extensive training in the use of elemental magic these now involved a considerable amount of cold, white smoke being emitted from her eyes, he did well to hold her gaze for a good ten seconds before turning away.

"Do you have a message for us mademoiselle?"

Unlike the Bulgarian, Fleur Delacour was being perfectly polite. Her reasoning for this course of action was impeccable, naturally. Firstly the raven haired girl was the heiress to a dark, ancient, wealthy and increasingly politcally powerful house. Her grand father had learned to his and his family's cost that you did not mess with the Blacks. Secondly, she had been privvy to Madame Maxine's research on the Hogwarts staff and students so was aware of the fact that this smallish, short tempered girl had killed a troll, a basilisk and two of her professors. This made Cassandra Evans-Black someone who demanded to be treated with a healthy amount of care and even respect. Well, if you wanted to stay healthy yourself that is. Last but certainly not least was the fact that, although quite small, she was insanely gorgeous and Fleur was not about to insult somene that she was thinking of trying a seduction on later. So yes. Polite was defnitely the order of the day.

Fleur shivered involuntarily as the annoyed young woman shifted her gaze and raked her amazing, emerald coloured eyes up and down the older French witch, giving her a not so subtle once over. The slightest of twitches at the corner of her mouth gave away that she was not entirely displeased with what she saw. She preened and fluttered under the girl's attentions, being fully aware of her own beauty, and gave Cassie a coy smile. Any further interraction between Fleur and her latest target for her own amorous intent had to be put on hold as the door burst noisily open again.

A swarm of irritated adults buzzed into the chamber and, clearly foregoing their own safety, proceeded to shout at and berate the dark and silent young woman who was now leaning up against the back wall, lightly fingering the bottom of Nigellus Black's portrait. The fact that the spirit of the former Hogwarts headmaster was managing to look both rather proud and extremely nervous of his descendant went totally over their heads. Of all the screaming idiots getting in her face and testing her patience the worst offender was Igor Karkaroff. The former Death eater was such a hugely sexist and misogynistic prick that he was completely ignoring the imminent danger that he was in from the smirking young woman to inform her that she was only good enough to be a whore or a servant. Now while the sort of views being expresed so vehemently towards Cassie at the moment would normally result in a sudden and uncontrollable burst of severe violence, today she just smiled her creepiest smile at the hateful man and kept her cool.

The reason for Cassie's admirable restraint was the letter that had arrived from Grimmuald Place this morning. Padfoot and Moony had been plotting with her grandma and Suzie's aunt and she, for one, couldn't wait to see what they had cooked up between them. Meanwhile a very suprising person indeed had leapt to her defence saying that she couldn't have possibly entered her own name. Cassie lifted her eyebrow as Professor Moody, of all people, poked the Durmstrang headmaster hard in the chest with his wand and forced the horrible man to retreat.

"It took some right dark magic to befuddle the Goblet of Fire. Know any of them who wants the girl dead do you Karkaroff? Perhaps we should have an investigation. Or maybe an ... _interrogation_ hmmm."

Barty Crouch Junior was enjoying taunting his former colleague, 'Igor the traitor' immensely and was just really getting into his stride when Dumbledore decided to step in and supposedly restore some order to the proceedings. The old man held up his hands in a placating gesture and cast a small sonorus charm to magically amplify his voice.

"All this argument is pointless my friends. The fact is that the Goblet has chosen Miss Evans-Black as a champion and she is now bound by magical contract to compete."

He neglected to point out that they had one hour in which they could review and ratify, or not, any champions selected and they certainly weren't going to know since he had painstakingly removed that sentence from all of their copies of the Tournament rules. He hadn't been able to get to the Ministry's copies but since neither Crouch Senior nor Ludo Bagman were known for their patience with picking through large legal documents he wasn't exactly worried.

"There is nothing she or we can do about it so let us calm down and try to make the best of the situation we find ourselves in."

Figuring that this was the appointed time Cassie sidled over to the elder Crouch and handed him the piece of parchment that she had been playing with in her pocket since dinner. As instructed by her man-child parent and his mother back in London, she waited until Crouch had accepted the note before retreating to lean against the wall again. She had to hold back on her urge to stab him with Mister Pointy when the distracted man tossed it onto the table in front of him without bothering to read it. Cassie then watched in amusement as the grumbling and mumbling continued, albeit at a lower volume and intensity, while the adult wizards discussed her as if she wasn't there. Arguments floated back and forth for quite some time before finally at the end of almost an hour and a quarter Albus called a halt.

"Well I'm afraid the point about the girl's participation is moot now as the time allotted to review and possibly cancel unsuitable entrants has passed."

There was a very pregnant pause while everyone considered this piece of news. Albus Dumbedore was doing an internal happy dance. His plan had worked perfectly. Procrastination and distraction were what he excelled at and now that the half blood Evans bitch was locked into his tournament nice and tight he was overjoyed. Even Barty Junior, who he remembered from the last war as being not the sharpest tool in the shed, had managed to do his part without making a total bollocks of it. He was rather impressed truth be told. The Death Eater made these Ministry lackeys look decidedly slow and he couldn't be more pleased. Until that is, having at last read it, the pale and shocked Crouch Senior handed him a scrap of parchment which, while not able to de-rail his plan, could still cause him some serious problems.

 _ **I, Cassandra Evans-Black, being underage, formally request the presence of my magical guardian and Head of House, Lord Sirius Orion Black.**_

Cassie was now having to try extremely hard to not laugh at the white whiskered old fool as Sirius' letter had said that if she did, it could alert the headmaster to their plan. So she stood there shaking and trembling with her hand clamped desperately over her mouth and nose to keep in the snorts which were threatening now. The smug, calculating look that Dumbledore gave her just then was almost her undoing. No. She wouldn't laugh. No matter how much she wanted to or how funny it was watching him making an absolute arse out of himself in front of his guests.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Lord Sirius Orion Black, head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black arranged himself comfortably on the conjured sofa next to the girl he considered, in every important sense, to be his daughter. He had been taking lessons from the old batte-axe that was his mother and they had rehearsed this meeting many times in the last couple of weeks, so he knew exactly how he should act.

"You do realise that my daughter and heiress, Cassandra, is underage and legally speaking should have had her guardian and House head's consent to even be considered for entry."

He silently thanked his girlfriend ... woman friend ... Amelia for that particular piece of information.

"Ah, I'm afraid that may be my fault Sirius my boy."

Almost as soon as the words left his lips did Dumbledore realise his mistake. He had just admitted liability in front of a room full of too many witnesses for an obliviation to work. Damn. Idiot. If something now happened to the girl he would be held legally responsible and could be sued for punitive damages. The feral grin that immediately crossed the younger man's face told him that he had caught it too and that any damages sought would be epic in their scale.

It was at this point that the Blacks unveiled the real reason for Cassie's insistance on her father's presence. Pulling a scroll from his pocket he approached the table of judges, headmasters and professors and threw it down in front of Barty Crouch Senior. The head of Britain's Department of International Magical Co-operation broke the familiar seal and quietly perused the document.

 _ **To whom it may concern**_

 _ **This day 12th September 1994 Miss Cassandra Evans-Black, heiress to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, did take a blood sworn, written magical oath under the auspicies and supervision of senior representatives of Gringotts Wizarding Bank.**_

 _ **The terms of this oath state that Miss Evans-Black has not and will not attempt to enter the Tri-Wizard Tournament event scheduled to take place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in October this year. Furthermore it states that shoud any attempt be made to force her co-operation, if by some chance she should be entered by any unknown third party, then a blood feud will be intsituted against said person or persons.**_

 _ **Gringotts along with The head of the House of Black ratifies and supports this document which will be available for the inspection of any interested parties at our London branch. By appointment only.**_

 _ **Signed and Witnessed by Director Ragnok, Head of Gringotts (UK).**_

Crouch Senior paled considerably when he read the signature at the bottom of the scroll and passed it, with trembling hands, down the line of officials. The reactions of his colleagues ranged from suprise through anger and indignation to outright fear. Albus, however, kept his mask on tight at the dangerous possibilty of a blood feud with the Black family and simply cleared his throat to continue the discussion. After pausing to glare at the lackadaisical Ministry man who had put them in this position that is.

"I see. Well that is unfortunate. Had we been aware of this document we would have immediately dis-counted the young lady from her responsibilities but as it is she will still have to take part I'm afraid. Shall we move on?"

"Certainly headmaster. Next is the lack of any adequate protections that allowed illegal tampering with an ancient object of such importance to the health of your students, not to mention it's historcal significance."

"I assure you Sirius ..."

"My Lord."

The headmaster's face darkened at the obvious slight. Swallowing his rage he bowed his head in submission and continued.

"I assure you ... My Lord ... that all necessary precautions were taken."

"Since someone managed to have the time and opportunity to befuddle the cup enough to slip my daughter's name into it, I would argue that all necessary precautions were _not_ taken. Wouldn't you?"

"Ah, yes, well in hind-sight perhaps so."

By this point in the proceedings Cassie was looking at Sirius with shining eyes like he was the most brilliant person ever to breathe in air. She knew full well that he had been extensively coached by granny Walburgia but still he was executing their plan with such vindictive panache that she was all but bouncing up and down with glee. For his part, Sirius was having a blast, tearing into the man who had left him locked up in Azkaban for a decade and making his little princess gaze at him with such love and respect for doing so. Also it appealed to his marauder spirit and it was a lot of fun seeing how red he could make the old bastard go.

In the end, however, nothing had changed other than the fact that there was going to be a very messy, very public enquiry into the multitude of failures that had led to Cassie being selected as a Tri-Wizard champion. This was only happening because Barty Crouch Senior was terrified that the House of Black would launch a crippling lawsuit against the Ministry in general and him in particular over his imprisonment without trial if Sirius didn't get his way. Neither of the Blacks in the room could give two shits what the reasons were, they only cared that they had won themselves a fantastic position from which to blackmail several influential figures.

Still grinning at her fuming headmaster, Cassie held up her hand, palm facing towards Sirius and waited patiently for him to notice. He chuckled darkly at his mischievous little girl before slapping the outstretched palm in a rather ill mannered and vindictive 'high five'.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Later that night the girls of Psycho Freak tower were gathered dowsnstairs in their study area, seperately but together. Hermione was supervising Charli's faltering attempts at her potions homework, Cerys and Juliette were practicing their sign language (using some interesting and not very _clean_ word choices) and Mathilde was reading her Charms textbook. Cassie was standing in the middle of all of this activity, stock still, with Shortcake draped around her neck and a broom handle in her hand. This eccentric pose was at Luna's insistence and was apparently all in the name of art. Her painting supplies had finally arrived from home and the excitable blonde had decided that her first work was going to be the portrait of the Black heiress that she had been wanting to do since the first week back at school.

So here she was, Cassandra Evans-Black, dressed in her tall heeled, lace-up boots, tight leather trousers and the skimpiest of crop tops, striking a heroic pose with her python as Luna bounced around sketching, painting and directing her to 'do that creepy thing' with her eyes. Ginny was circling her and revelling in her role as hair and make-up assistant as it meant that she was able to fulfill her, often imagined, desire of 'fluffing' the older girl. It did make for a rather surreal picture Susan thought as she entered the room, having just finished her extra credit work with professor McGonagall.

The red head's eyes narrowed in considerable annoyance when she saw Ginny playing with the thick, red tipped, raven locks and stroking the exposed skin of _her_ girlfriend. Who was practically half naked. Growling slightly and giving the ginger girl an un-necessarily firm push out of the way she took over the duty. Much to Ginny's discontent and Cassie's amusement.

 **Alright then?**

Susan nodded and moved a little closer to run her index finger down Cassie's cheek.

"McGonagall told me that your status as the fourth champion has been confirmed. So that means you have to compete then?"

 **We knew it was always going to be a pretty good possibility Suze.**

"I know love, I just hate the fact that you'll be in danger."

Susan's voice hitched as, unable to keep them in, the tears came racing unbidden to her eyes. Cassie scooped up the sniffling figure of her always stoic, always strong girlfriend into her arms and rocked her genty back and forth. It was so rare that she got to do this for the red head that she secretly quite enjoyed it when it happened. Not that she would ever tell Suzie that. Not if she wanted to continue having special snuggles with her anyway.

"I think it's far more likely that the other champions will be the ones in danger. From you. And the judges of course."

There was a collective guffaw as the diminutive blonde turned around from her painting to deliver this particular piece of Lovegood wisdom to the room. She could always rely on Luna to get them all giggling again. Surprisingly it was the recently displaced Ginny Weasley who gently, but firmly, took Susan's free hand and voiced what they were all feeling.

"Come on Suzie. No more tears love, what's done is done. Now then let's help your bodacious, sexy, awesome girlfriend here make those steaming great arseholes regret ever putting her name in this bloody stupid contest."

"You're right." Pulling away from Cassie, Susan gripped the shorter girl by the shoulders and said. "If you're going to do this then you're doing it to win. I will not have you getting hurt because you're either wanting to make the headmaster look stupid or trying to make some kind of statement. Full power, all the time, no matter what. Are we clear?"

There was an overwhelming swell of support for and agreement with this view from the Freaks and Cassie could do nothing but signal her own capitulation to the other witches. Even the sweet little Mathilde was wearing her determined face. And as for Susan? Well there was a hardness and ferocity now about her girlfriend that had completely washed away her previous vulnerability. It was like she was channelling her aunt. Cassie's heart swelled with love as she realised that this was all for her. To help her and to keep her safe. She smiled at the red head and promised to reward her with a very _special_ present before long. Perhaps something from her parselmouth sex book. Not right now of course. But soon. Maybe she could make it part of her Chrstmas present.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

If there was one thing Albus Dumbledore really couldn't stand it was committees. In whatever form they may appear. Why couldn't these people understand that their lives would be so much better and so much simpler if they just left him to make all the important decisions for them. In a world run by him all magical people would be safe (because he would kill any threats), the muggle and mudblood threat would not exist (because they would all be dead or enslaved) and everybody would be happy (because he would obliviate any dissenters). It would be a Utopia filled with unicorns and rainbows and he would sit in his throne at the top of it all dispensing his wisdom and justice. As was only right and proper. So yeah. Committees and panels were really not his cup of tea. Which was why he was so grumpy and bored right now. That miserable up himself git Barty Crouch Senior wasn't exactly helping either.

"There's no point in debating it any more Olympe, the girl is bound to compete and we must find a way to integrate her into tournament. Although I wholly agree that the situation is not exacty ideal but our hands are literally tied here I'm afraid."

"Okay so what are we talking about here, a fourth task for a fourth champion?"

"Exactly Madame. Perhaps we could even tailor one event per champion to showcase their own particular traits and talents."

Karkaroff and Maxime looked stunned while even Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at that suggestion. Not that it was entirely without it's merits. In fact it might just present him with an opportunity to get the nasty little half-blood Evans bitch (he refused to call her Evans-Black in the privacy of his own thoughts) seriously injured or hopefully even killed. Fingers crossed for luck he waded into the decision making process.

In the end the others were persuaded by his enthusiasm and not all that much needed to be changed or arranged. The dragon and egg task was geared towards Viktor's strength and flying ability, the hostages in the lake was adjusted to show off Cedric's considerable waterborne skills as well as his Hufflepuff sense of loyalty and the maze made use of Fleur's logical and intelligent mind. As for the heiress of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, her event would be shoe-horned in between the first and second tasks and was designed to show off her unique style of spell-casting. This had the benefit of being easy to judge and logistically simple. A raised stone platform would be placed on the Quidditch pitch to take advantage of the, already in place stands, with a barrier to catch stray spells and they would be all set. But it was the details of the duels themselves that Dumbledore was really proud of.

At first glance the task appeared to be ideally suited to the young woman's well known (thanks to his interference) ability to wandlessly summon and control the very elements of the earth. The devil was in the detail, however. It would consist of a round robin format of wandless duels, with points being awarded based on style as well as the outcome, meaning that even if you lost all of your bouts you could still be in the running for the overall lead. It would also be extremely physically tiring and magically draining with very little time between bouts for the combatants to recover. This naturally gave the older students with larger magical cores and more stamina, not to mention access to a much greater range of spells, a distinct advantage. Also he knew that elemental magic was even more draining than normal casting. With a bit of luck the hated girl's pride and temper would come to the fore and she might end up killing herself through core exhaustion. Here's hoping, Albus thought as he tried not to skip back to his office in excitement and glee.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The door to the combined third and fourth year dorm room cracked silently open and two small, bat eared figures carrying a large, blanket wrapped package entered. Kreacher and Winky moved quickly, efficiently and quietly while working to secure the portrait frame so as to avoid interrupting their mistress who appeared to be rather pre-occupied with her mate. Having fixed it to the wall of Miss Cassie's bedroom the two elves left in the same way as they had come and the soft click of the door latch did not even register on the two entangled girls. They were a little busy. Too busy to notice when a stern looking older woman slid into the frame and regarded them with slight, evil smirk evident upon her once beautiful, high cheekboned face.

"Do you think that's entirely appropriate behaviour Cassandra?"

"Arrrgh!"

Susan Bones head whipped around from from where she had her girlfriend pinned up against one of the posts of their bed, attacking the partially clothed girl with rare abandon. To interrupt one of the fourth years' increasingly heated make-out sessions was to invite a serious and prolonged hexing from a pair of powerful, irate and frustrated young witches. Suffice it to say if anyone did happen to walk in on them they tended to back out again slowly, carefully and above all else, quietly. What they didn't do was to make snotty comments about propriety while doing a crap impression of some elderly pure-blood matriarch. Oh shit. Covering her previous scowl by plastering on an entirely fake smile, Susan brought her eyes up to meet those of Walburgia Black. At this point her aunt Amelia's training kicked in and the traditional exchange of false pleasantries began.

"Mrs Black. How lovely to see you again. Are you well?"

"Very well thank-you dear, now if you would be so kind as to remove your hand from my grand daughter's breast Miss Bones I believe this conversation might become a great deal less awkward for us both."

The red head shut her eyes tight in the hope that this was some kind of horrible dream. Clenching her hand Susan felt the soft, yet firm resistance of flesh and the tell-tale hardening of a nipple into the soft skin of her palm. Doube shit. She slowly let her fingers go loose and inched her hand back out from underneath Cassie's bra, putting it casually into the pocket of her robe. When Susan eventually opened her eyes she was greeted by the sight of Walburgia Black peering superciliously at her with one raised eyebrow. Glancing to her girlfriend for some moral support all she got was a twinkly eyed smirk as the girl put her tits away and otherwise straightened herself up a bit.

"Great help you are." Susan grumbled before being interrupted by the painting again.

"Right then ladies, now that you are somewhat respectable." Walburgia paused and gave the two of them an up and down look with a nasty smile. "Well, as respectable as you're going to get anyway. Now let's get down to some training shall we."

Grinning hugely as she put the primary heiress of the House of Black through her elemental paces the sneaky spirit of Walburgia Black laughed merrily at the prank that she and Sirius had pulled on Dumbledore yesterday. Laughing wasn't something that the former Black matriarch had done very much of when she was alive but since the arrival of Cassandra in June, the residents of Twelve Grimmuald Place seemed to do it more often than not. The wolf and the man-child really were frightfully amusing when they put their minds to it and the cunning that both exhibited when the protection of their 'little princess' was involved would have made Salazar Slytherin proud. Which was how she found herself here at Hogwarts. Sirius had performed a superb piece of blackmail that, among other more overtly useful demands, had ensured that her spare frame was placed here, where she could continue to guide and educate Cassandra.

The fact that young Miss Bones was not only encouraging her but also joining in the girl's training was not lost on Walburgia. The red head, while not in Cassie's league, was certainly powerful enough, skilled with her wand and enthusiastic in her desire to learn as well as providing much needed comfort and assistance to her grand daughter. She would make a fine wife or consort to the future head of the House of Black and ensuring the future of the family was just as important to her as guiding their resurgence. Focusing once again on the task at hand she began to push the girls harder. It was time for the wizarding World to find out that Blacks were Back. With a bang.

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 **Okay so I'm going to give a shameless plug to someone else's story here. Uchiha of Ravenclaw by Hebisama is currently one of my favourite stories on FF and it is woefully under supported. You don't need to know anything about Naruto to enjoy it, I certainly don't, and I encourage you all to read it. It really is a great piece of work. Funny, violent, Potterverse femslash. Like I said. Great.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	27. Chapter 27

**When reading this chapter you'll need to have the theme from Rocky playing in your head because it's time for the obligatory training montage. Although if you're a proper freak you can try Crazy train by the Prince of Darkness himself (Ozzy rules). While not being a big fan of training sequences in FF I'm hoping that mine is at least a bit more fun than most.**

 **Now then, there will be some Fleur in this chapter. I thought long and hard over how to write her dialogue and I ended up deciding that you guys are going to have to do all the hard work yourselves. Our fiesty, flirtatious French mademoiselle will be written in plain English and you can supply your own accent when reading. This is not difficult. It can be done. I have one reviewer who read all three current chapters of one of my stories in the voice of Jim Dale from the Carry On movies. Now that's difficult. Also impressive and funny.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **27\. Crazy Train.**

Looking around the magically created and extended basement underneath Pscho Freak tower, Aurora Sinistra considered that this was probably her finest hour in the difficult fields of charms and transfiguation. Admittedly she'd had a bit of help from Minerva and Filius on the more tricky stuff but mostly it had been her project. It had been a point of pride for her as the faculty head of the fifth house. She was the one that the girls had come to when asking for a training space, which had pleased her beyond all reason, and she had worked very hard to not let them down. From the cavernous underground room itself to the well stocked weapon and supply racks to the comfortable seating area set aside for the girls and any visitors to watch Cassie train, it had all gone very well and she was rightly proud of herself. Minerva McGonagall tapped the back of her hand and, making sure she couldn't be seen by curious young eyes, gave her an amused, crinkly eyed wink.

"Yes it's very nice dear, you did a lovely job."

How this infuriating woman knew precisely what Aurora was thinking all of the time was, honestly, a bit creepy. Since she had been coming into increasingly close contact with Cassadra Evans-Black, however, her definition of the word 'creepy' had undergone a serious and radical re-evaluation. The way she looked at other girls in the school and even some of the female professors, including herself, sometimes with that predatory kind of ... _hunger_ was simply terrifying. Exciting certainly, I mean who didn't love to think that they were desirable, but terrifying none-the-less. A collective gasp went up from the first years to her right as the girl in question was knocked thirty feet across the basement to land unceremoniously on her arse. For the second time in the last ten minutes.

Picking herself up from the floor Cassie stood and grinned, bowing to take the good natured ribbing and applause from the cheap seats (Charli and Ginny mainly). She fixed her glasses back into place with a subtle wandless sticking charm before turning to face the enormous magical construct of a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon that was busy trying to kill her. Cassie narrowed her eyes and glared at her over-sized opponent, having just noticed the large tear in her much loved and very expensive leather trousers. Oh it was _on_ now. This big bastard was going down. Very deliberately she drew her yew wand and dagger. She didn't normally use the focus for her elemental casting but, as with most other types of magic that she used, it did tend to make her spells much easier. Unfortunately for the safety of anyone in the immediate vicinity, it also made them stupidly and dangerously powerful. A fact that she quickly demonstrated in full effect to her shocked audience.

Snarling at the advancing fake beast she lashed out, pointing her wand straight at it's head and hitting it with concentrated blast of air magic, banishing the dragon into the wall with a huge amount of force. Not letting her focus waver or her enemy recover, Cassie immediately created a magical vacuum and pulled it towards her at an alarming (to anybody who wasn't her) rate. Just as it was about to hit her there was a bluish, silver flash and the construct exploded in a cloud of dust and small stones. As the stunned spectators looked on, a small tornado whipped the debris into a fast moving cone and shifted it to a corner of the room before allowing it to settle gently to the flagstone floor. A single figure was left standing in the middle of the underground chamber. The girl with the lightning bolt scar looked totally relaxed with her wand held pointed to the floor and possibly the largest sword any of them had ever seen balanced lightly on her right shoulder.

"I think she got her point across. Get it? Point."

Charli and Hermione gave identical face palms and groans at Ginny's terrible pun. Although Luna and the first years seemed to appreciate it. Susan, however, was not in the mood for jokes. There was a grim expression on her face that had been there ever since her girlfriend had returned from Hagrid's after her Tuesday night detention and informed them that the first task involved something to do with dragons. Her mood had not been improved by the sheer amount of times that Cassie had been put on her bum by the training dragons that McGonagall and Flitwick had then constructed for her over the last few hours. With her latest attempt, of course, it had become clear that she had not been using her wand at all up to now. Not used her wand. At all. Against a fucking dragon. It was like the girl wanted to get hurt. Susan would be having words with her girlfriend later on and there would be no Walburgia to defend her after Winky had moved her frame down here and out of their bedroom. Thank Merlin. That woman was a total cock blocker. Not that _that_ was going to be an issue tonight. If Cassie had known how much trouble she was in she may well have opted to spend the whole rest of the night down here fighting dragons.

Oblivious to the brewing 'hurricane Bones', out in the centre of the cellar Cassie chuckled at the ginger girl's piss poor joke as she returned her 'Mister Pointy' to his dagger form and surveyed the crater in the end wall with interest. She had driven the faux dragon into it with such violence that it had left a dent roughly the size and shape of it's own back as well as dislodging several of the blocks in the heavily warded room. Looking carefully back and forth from her yew wand to the bloody great hole in the wall with a raised eyebrow, that creepy smile that professor Sinistra seemed so fond of made an appearance. It appeared that 'Miss Deathtree' was quite an apt nickname for the threstral hair cored focus given the awesome level of destruction that she was capable of causing with it. Even though she had owned the wand for the last three years Cassie rarely used it for anything but low powered, regular classwork which meant that when she did unleash it on her more _esoteric_ repertoire of extra curricular spells she was always surprised by it's power. She literally could not wait until the first task now where she would show the morons who had gotten her entangled in this bloody stupid tournament exactly why they should not mess with the House of Black in general and with her in particular. Of course first she had to survive her girlfriend's wrath tonight.

"Better Cassandra. However, this construct doesn't breathe fire like the real thing does."

Cassie scowled and huffed at the portrait of her grandma. Some people were never bloody happy. It wouldn't have killed the old bat to say 'good job Cassandra' at least once, would it? Since the boys weren't around, Walburgia was obviously lacking someone to bully and berate for their bad behaviour and unfortunately the Black's primary heiress fit the bill nicely. To be fair Suzie had also taken her fair share of the abuse at the start but recently the two of them had seemed to find a common purpose in making her life a training filled and painful hell dimension. Moving the matriarch's picture frame down here had also certainly helped out with her slowly but surely expanding sex life. If the old girl couldn't see them engaged in one of their many snogging and petting sessions then she could pretend that it wasn't happening apparently. Cassie would be groaning if it were at all possible as her attention was caught by professor McGonagall moving to make another one of her transfigured monsters.

"Let's make it a bit more interesting this time shall we, how about a Chinese Fireball? Filius would you mind putting the fire breath charms in place for me?"

 **Oh crap.**

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

At the Slytherin table Viktor Krum tuned out the idiot blonde boy waffling on about his quidditch prowess in favour of concentrating on his staring match with the Evans-Black girl. He lasted a lot longer now but then with all the practice he had been getting he would, wouldn't he. He fully shared in his headmaster's view that all a witch was good for was cooking, cleaning or servicing their wizard and he was incensed that this fine, ancient tournament was being sullied her presence. Not that the chilly, French, veela bitch was any better. He growled at another stupid question from another stupid, green robed fanboy and remembered yesterday morning's events with displeasure.

The weighing of the wands ceremony had been conducted in the same side chamber off of the great hall that the champions had originally entered after their selection and it had quickly turned into a complete farce. The presence of the reporters was only to be expected what with his status as the golden boy of the Bulgarian national quidditch team, but far from being surounded by the press as was the usual case, he was virtually ignored. Because of her. The Black girl. He was confused and utterly astonished that anyone would pass over an interview with a god-like adonis of his reputaton and stature to fawn over a short fourteen year old witch. It must be because her family was aristocratic, old money that they did this, it certainly couldn't be for any other reason. She was just a weak little girl. Flexing his chauvenistic muscles Viktor had aproached her and attemted to disuade her from the folly of competing in the deadly contest.

"It would be better if you just pulled out and gave up your magic. Girls have their own kind of magic around the house do they not."

Cassie stared at him for a long moment before her hands moved in a swift and sharp,if not terribly polite, reply.

 **What a fucking knob.**

On seeing Cassie's signed comment directed at the idiot Durmstrang boy's rather poor and misguided attempt at chivalry, the mouthful of tea that Severus Snape had been in the middle of drinking diverted down his airway causing him to cough and splutter spectacularly. From the corner of the room Rita Skeeter was taking all of these interractions in and praying that her photographer had got a shot of the various players' reactions to the dim-witted quidditch star's patronising comments. What kind of an idiot said something like that in a room full of reporters. Who were now, of course, all clamouring for clarification from the meat headed young man. The Witch Weekly correspondent seemed to be particularly vicious in her interrogation of him. It looked like Vitor Krum was about to lose his 'most eligible bachelor' title in a rather spectacular manner as he dug himself deeper and deeper (by simply continuing to talk) into his misogenystic hole. Rita meanwhile had stayed foused on the smirking green eyed girl, almost giving her own interest away upon seeing her surrupticious and surprising fist bump with the Hogwarts Potions professor. She had been baiting the boy all along, setting him up to spout his his hateful, retarded views to the whole press corps before standing back to watch the fun.

The two of them had obviously planned Krum's humiliation together, she realised. What on Merlin's green earth was Snape doing planning pranks and generally being on good terms with the child of Potter and the heiress of Black. She had been at this school at the same time as those three and had seen at first hand the animosity between them and it was simply unbelievable that the sour man had just 'got over it'. No. There was something distinctly odd going on at Hogwarts and Rita was becoming more and more determined to discover what it was. She would have to be quite circumspect in her investigation so as to avoid the suspicion of the headmaster and the Ministry officials who she was sure would have a bit of a problem with her planned expose. But then she had a secret weapon in that particular fight. A very tiny weapon that could come and go wherever it pleased, gathering information as it went. The unregistered beetle animagus, Rita Skeeter, hung back out of the press melee content with the scraps. She had smiled at the thought that she would get the real and exclusive story later on direct from the source.

As for Viktor. Well the backlash had been surprisingly vitriolic. While the Prophet had given a veiled, but light, reprimand in it's editorial, Witch Weekly and Teen Witch Weekly were uncompromising in their exposure of his 'woman hating' views. His father, who was also his agent, had written a letter expressing his disappointment in Viktor's inability to keep his damned silly mouth shut, prompting the loss of a good portion of his female fan base. He felt stupid. He felt played. He wanted revenge. Letting his eyes wander across the occupants of the Psycho Freaks table he searched for a viable target and allowed himself a grim smile as he spied the pretty, bushy haired girl in the centre. He would unleash upon her all of his considerable charm and skill in order to seduce the girl before dumping, humliating and destroying her, thus hurting Evans-Black in the process. The fact that she might be immune to his charms did not enter into the arrogant young man's thought proceses for even a single moment. He was Viktor Krum. Everyone loved him.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

It was Sunday and in a rare day off from her training Cassie was having a lazy time simply hanging out with her girlfriend in their dorm room. The two of them had been just chatting, relaxing and of course making out but eventually the, much interrupted, conversation found itself coming around to the subject of the approaching Yule Ball. Professor McGonagall had informed all of her classes about this event and even offered dance classes to those who were not so confident about their abilities in that sphere. She had replied in the negative to the transfiguration teacher's generous offer in favour of having her pure blooded, society girlfriend teach her the steps and relying on her own natural grace to carry her through the rest. Unfortunately said girlfriend was being rather _difficult_ about it.

 **But it's dancing Suzie, you know how much I love to dance. Please.**

"After how you've been holding back in your training, I'm not sure that you deserve it."

 **But I've said that I'm sorry about that hunny bunny and I sooo want to take you to the ball and show off my sexy girlfriend in her gorgeous dress. Please, please, please, please, please.**

Those eyes should be bloody illegal Susan thought as the black haired temptress gazed apologetically up at her, blinking slowly with her long, dark eyelashes fluttering over the impossibly large, clear, emerald green orbs. Aaaargh. That little minx. She knew exactly how unutterably and irresistibly cute she was when she did this, as well as knowing just what buttons to push in order to get Susan to do whatever she wanted. The red head felt her shoulders sag and she hung her head in the all too familiar feeling of defeat.

"Fine."

 **Really?**

"Yes really. You know I can't stay angry at you."

 **I love you!**

Susan thanked her stars that her reactions had been quickened by the shared part of their physical training regime as Cassie threw herself into her arms and proceeded to show her just how grateful she was. She managed to disengage her lips from the black haired, green eyed kissing machine long enough to stammer out.

"Just so you know, I'm expecting you to show me an extremely good time at this ball."

 **Oh I'm going to show you a good time alright.**

Deciding to give her a preview, Cassie flattened her palm on her girlfriends crotch and dragged it up towards her stomach, making sure to trail the stiff middle finger along Suzie's fabric covered cleft. She grinned wickedly at the half surprised squeal, half feral growl that this action elicited from the red head and bit her lightly on the neck for good measure. At that Susan wildly pushed her hips up, desperate to regain the contact on her over heated core only to feel an intense burst of frustration and disappointment as Cassie gently, but firmly pulled away. The now panting girl mewled at the loss and fought to control her sudden lust as she growled once more at girlfriend, who was smirking and wagging her dainty little index finger at her.

 **Ah ah ah. Now, now Suzie. Patience my love, you know that you shouldn't open your presents until Christmas Day.**

"Umm ... uhh ... what?"

Susan Bones had gone from angry to horny to frustrated to confused all in the space of about four minutes and the only thing that made any sense to her was that Cassie was taking her to the Yule Ball and had told her that she loved her. Oh and there was something about a Christmas present too. She vaguely (and hopefully) wondered what that could possibly consist of while attempting to regain both the power of speech and some feeling in her rubbery legs.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The Abraxans were restless tonight and Madame Maxime had sent her best student to sort them out and calm the creatures down. Fleur Delacour, Beaubaxtons Tri-Wizard champion gripped her light, slender wand tightly in her hand and shifted along the outside of the building with a stealthy grace. She peered slowly around the door to the massive stables and nearly fell over with surprise at the sight which greeted her.

"Wheee! Faster Cass, faster."

The heiress to the Noble and Most Ancient House of black was sat comfortably on one of the large, white Abraxans that pulled the Beaubaxtons carriage guiding it in a controlled canter around the open space. As if this in itself was not a surprising enough, there appeared to be an insane blonde girl standing up behind her with a fist wrapped in the black hair using it as some form of remote reigns while giggling and screaming. Fleur was honestly shocked that the normally bad tempered and aggressive beast was even tolerating their presence in the stable never mind letting the two girls ride around on it's back like this. Keeping to the shadows the veela watched them having fun, feeling sad that she had never had the kind of friends that she could engage in these kinds of activities with. Unfortunately being the eldest child of the Delacour clan meant that most of the relationships she formed would be more political in nature. Her ice princess reputation and demeanour didn't really help with that either.

Finally the Freaks brought their horse riding session to an end with the black haired girl executing an exquisite, athletic leap, somersaulting through the air like an Olympic gymnast to land gracefully on her toes. Holding out her arms she waited for the nutty little blonde to follow. However the smaller girl instead of jumping, dove head first at the startled Cassie and they both ended up in a giggling heap on the filthy, straw lined floor. Their antics appeared to amuse the Abraxans as well, all of whom were shaking their heads back and forth, neighing and stomping their hooves in a rare display of good humour.

"I want to go and see the dragons now."

 **No Lulu. We can't go and see them in case we get caught.**

"So you know about the first task then." Fleur chose this moment to step from the shadows and reveal herself to the younger girls. Not that her sudden appearance seemed to phase them at all. It was almost as if they knew she was there all along. "It is a little intimidating, no?"

"Yes, poor old Cedric went quite as pale as a ghostly crumple horned snorkack when we told him."

 **I thought he was going to shit himself.**

"Yes he did leave rather quickly didn't he."

"You have told Diggory about the dragons?" Fleur interrupted in surprise.

"Of course she told him about them. Cassie likes a nice level playing field so that no-one can complain when she beats the pants off you all."

 **Thanks for that Lulu, I needed somebody else to hate me.**

"No problem Cass, I'm always happy to help."

Cassie rolled her eyes at the madly grinning girl while Fleur just looked on confused, feeling the tell-tale sharp pain that signalled the start of one of her headaches. Even for people who knew her, it was more than a little disconcerting to be a witness to any conversation that involved Luna Lovegood, let alone one that you could only actually hear one side of. Franky, she thought that the skinny, nutty, dirty blonde was a few flakes short of a croissant but she wasn't going to risk upsetting the strange girl's dark, temperamental friend by actually giving voice to that opinion. Cassandra Evans-Black was known to defend her Psycho Freak house mates with extreme and uncompromising vigour and there was no way that she was going to put herself in the position of appearing to be the villain here. Not when Viktor was doing such a fabulous job of it. Madame Maxime had told her of the upcoming wandless duel round of the tournament and she would much rather face this powerful witch when she was being coldly efficient than if she was in a righteous rage over an insult to one of her girls. Apparently the Bulgarian either didn't know this or was arrogant enough to not care. She guessed the latter. Moron.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

November 23rd 1994, the day before the much anticipated first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament went by far too quickly for Cassie's liking, even with the lack of classes. It was a whirlwind of last minute training and tweaking of her plans to be able to accomodate whatever she had to do with/get from the dragon that she would be facing. In this respect at least she was very glad to have the sneaky, wise and savvy Walburgia Black to call upon. Cassie's plans tended to be pretty much Gryffindor in nature. Hit whatever it was in your way until it stops moving and then hit it again, being her go to position in most situations. Grandma, however, had a veritable wealth of other, less dangerous (less fun), ideas.

"Have you thought of trying out your parsel speech on it Cassandra? Dragons _are_ called winged serpents, after all, it might work. Perhaps you could reason with the creature or offer it a bargain of some kind in exchange for what you need."

 **You want me to to stand in a field with a pissed off, thirty foot tall, fire breathing monster and** _ **reason**_ **with it?**

"It's worth considering Cassandra."

 **Yeah, so let's call that 'Plan B' then, shall we.**

She frowned suspiciously, starting to see the delicate, but surprisingly devious and manipulative, hand of Susan, heiress to the Noble House of Bones behind the old woman's sudden interest in finding a non violent solution to her task. Those two were getting awfully chummy lately and it did not bode well for her future if they were going to be teaming up against her. She briefly considered burning the Black matriarch out of her frame but decided against it as she would only go straight back to Grimmuald Place and then her summer would be made utterly unbearable. As well as probably being subjected to several identical lectures on the responsibilty of her position from grandma, Suzie, Remus and, most laughably of all, Sirius. Yeah, _so_ not worth it.

After a few more hours of alternating between preparation and arguing they were joined in the basement by the rest of the Freaks and professor Sinistra, who had come bearing food and butterbeers. They had a very pleasant and enjoyable evening meal in which everyone tried to take her mind off of the upcoming trial by fire with some raucous and saucy banter, with even the token authority figure in the room joining in. As the evening wound down to it's close Susan pulled her off to one side away from the antics of her pervy sister and the adorably easily embarrassed Hermione.

"I want to give you something. For luck."

 **Really now. Does it rhyme with 'luck' by any chance?**

"Mind out of the gutter, sweetie."

Susan reprimanded her smirking girlfriend gently while furiously digging around in her robes for something and inadvertently flashing her bra to all and sundry. After a couple of minutes of giving the girls and a red faced professor Sinistra a free show of her impressive assets, she finally freed what it was that she was looking for and held it up with a small shout of triumph. In her hand she held a small, blue box. Which she passed to her gorgeous green eyed girl with a shy smile.

When she opened the box and saw what she had been given, Cassie's jaw dropped in absolute shock. Nestled in dark velvet was a necklace of exquisite beauty, holding a tasteful, diamond encrusted pendant in the form of two entwined letter 'B's inside a flawless ruby heart. It was stunning and thoughtful and she loved it. The small Tiffany's crest on the inside of the lid didn't hurt either. Nor did Suzie's wandering hands caressing her neck and shoulders as she fixed it in place.

 **Babe ...**

"Hush." Susan put a single finger to her girlfriend's lips. "Nothing's too good for my dark angel."

Susan was swept up in Cassie's arms and treated to an incredible and exciting frenching, right there in front of everyone.

"Awwwww."

The chorus of sighs and kissy noises prompted Cassie to turn Susan slightly so that she could give them all the finger without interrupting her lovely and passionate snog with her cute, sweet and surprisingly generous girlfriend. The red head, currently securely attached to her lips, knew exactly what Cassie was doing but couldn't seem to bring herself to care right now. Bitches probably deserved it anyway, trying to cut into their make out time. Tomorrow was already too close and she didn't want to waste a second of their time together before the girl she loved more than life itself had to face off against a bloody great dragon.

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 **So after a couple of requests from the more perverted among you (you know who you are) I've decided to do a Silent World Lemons fic. Not really sure how that's going to go as I've never actually writen a scene like that before but I'm feeling all adventurous so we'll give it a bash and see what happens. It might take a couple of weeks to get going as I don't want to get ahead of the main story.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	28. Chapter 28

**I've had a few really lovely guest reviews lately and since I can't reply any other way I'm just going to say a quick thank-you here. Special thanks to Edward Beyer and Akshka.**

 **Now. Dragons! Aaargh. Dragons. Who's got the Holy hand grenade? No-one? Bugger. Run away!**

 **Have fun with this one. I know I did.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **28\. If You Want Blood (You've Got It).**

As usual Viktor Krum was being a dick. On this particular occasion he was once again arguing for the disqualification of both Cassie and Fleur from this round of the tournament on the grounds of them being in danger becaue they were witches and therefore inherently weak. Yeah, like she said. Dick. Apparently Poppy Pomfrey thought so too, if the look that she was sending at the Durmstrang champion was any indication. Cassie _really_ hoped that he got hurt enough to put him under her 'care'. Poppy would certainly fulfil her healer's oath to do her best to cure him but she would also definitely make sure that it was an experience that he wouldn't forget in a hurry. Even she wasn't brave enough or foolhardy enough to upset the Hogwarts healer. It took a considerable amount of effort from the combined judging panel to convince Viktor that the two witches would indeed be allowed to participate, despite his objections. At which dismissal he proceeded to sulk rather impressively.

It was into this somewhat toxic atmosphere that former quidditch legend, Ludo Bagman walked with his big, stupid grin and proceeded to give a half arsed explanation of what was expected of them as champions today. The good natured, goofy moron obviously thought that since she was unable to speak then Cassie was also deaf, so made an utter arse of himself by speaking loudly and slowly while doing some of the most ridiculous mimes that she had ever seen. Shaking her head in disbelief at his casual ignorance she reached into the sack, as directed, and pulled out the model of a Hungarian Horntail dragon with the number four emblazoned on it's flank. From the sighs of relief coming from the other competitors she gathered that they thought that this was not entirely a good thing for her. Good for them, yes. Good for her, not so much. Personally Cassie couldn't have cared less. A dragon was still a dragon as far as she was concerned. They were all bloody great, fire belching monsters at the end of the day. Luckily all she had to do was retrieve a golden egg from one. Simple right? Oh right, she forgot, just to make things more fun they were also going to be nesting mothers.

Cassie was thrown a fireproof cloak, pointed at an area littered with comfortable seating and told to wait for her turn. Viktor joined her after a while, sitting as far away as possible and glowering at her before Fleur sat herself primly down to her left and tried really hard not to stare at her. It wasn't easy for the French witch as Cassie was wearing skintight leather trousers, a ridiculously short and skimpy camisole top which showed off her beautiful tattoos and her tall, heeled, lace up boots. And nothing else. For a connoiseur of the female form such as herself it was all incredibly distracting. Seeing that the other girl had noticed her attention, the practically salivating, Fleur answered her questioningly raised eyebrow with a distraction of her own.

"Monsieur Diggory is going first."

Giving her a knowing smirk and nodding her thanks Cassie rose and walked back over to where Bagman stood with the Hufflepuff Hogwarts champion and gained his attention with a tug on the sleeve of his own cloak. Cedric turned to face the black haired girl, swallowing heavily and schooling his face to a neutral expression in order to hide his nervousness at her close proximity. To be honest Cassandra Evans-Black scared him infinitely more than any dragon did, even if she had told him what he would be facing today so that he would be prepared. He had been surprised when she, Luna Lovegood and his ex house mate Susan Bones (he was still a bit annoyed with his fellow 'Puffs over that eviction episode) had approached him with the details of todays challenge. He appreciated it but she was still boody scary. Cedric sighed in relief as he realised that all she wanted to do was smile at him and shake his hand to wish him good luck. At least he hoped that's what she was doing.

"Good luck to you too Miss Evans-Black."

To his consternation the girl shook her her and used her finger to draw a 'C' in the air with a trail of sparks. He smiled at both her impressive display of wandless magic and as he caught on to the meaning that she was trying to convey.

"Alright then. Good luck ... Cassandra."

She grinned briefly at the sandy haired young man and wandered back off to the waiting area, content with having done her good deed for the day. In an unexpected turn of events Cassie had discovered that she actually liked Cedric a lot. He, of course, was still very wary of her. She knew full well that she made the poor boy quite nervous, he had literally screamed like a big scared girl when she, Suzie and Luna had cornered him after his charms class to give him the bad news about this task. Since then he had treated the Freaks with something almost approaching friendship, smiling and waving at them whenever their paths crossed. He was like a really friendly, reasonably intelligent, over sized blonde puppy dog. She snorted in amusement when she saw him stood waiting in the entrance, start to scratch behind his ear. Coming so soon on her own thoughts in relation to Cedric and juvenile canines it was just too funny. The blast of a cannon sounded and Cassie's smile vanished. It was time.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The first thing she noticed as she entered the arena was, not surprisingly, the large, grumpy looking, horned dragon with the massive iron collar around it's neck chained to the earth floor. The next thing she noticed was how quiet it was in here. The total silence that Cassie walked out into the massive arena to was a little disconcerting even for her. She was used to being ignored, avoided and even vilified but this was a bit much. Just as her paranoia and temper were both about to reach their critical meltdown point she saw a small, black robed figure rise from amongst the assorted Black family members and Psycho Freaks to stand on her seat. Little Cerys Williams, secretly Cassies favourite of all of the first years, seemed to gather in an enormous breath and, as she started to sing, a huge Welsh flag unfurled itself from the stand in front of her to flutter in the breeze.

 _"Mae hen wlad fy nhadau yn annwyl i mi,_  
 _Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;_  
 _Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra mâd,_  
 _Tros ryddid gollasant eu gwaed."_

A smattering of voices began to join in quietly at first but soon their national pride and confidence overcame their youthful nerves and swelled their volume. Roger Davies, hand on heart, provided a quite startling top tenor, encouraging more to sing up. Before long a dozen or so students had risen and were belting out the Welsh national anthem, along with Cerys and Roger.

 _"Gwlad, Gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad,_  
 _Tra môr yn fur i'r bur hoff bau,_  
 _O bydded i'r heniaith barhau._

 _Hen Gymru fynyddig, paradwys y bardd;_  
 _Pob dyffryn, pob clogwyn, i'm golwg sydd hardd_  
 _Trwy deimlad gwladgarol, mor swynol yw si_  
 _Ei nentydd, afonydd, i fi._

 _Gwlad, Gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad,_  
 _Tra môr yn fur i'r bur hoff bau,_  
 _O bydded i'r heniaith barhau."_

Though small in number they were loud in voice and by the time the last note of Land of My Fathers had faded there were tears in Cassie's eyes and her fist raised to the sky prompting a noisy cheer from the Taffs in the crowd. She smirked at the shout from the surprising figure of one Gregory Goyle.

"Come on Evans, kick it's arse!"

The crowd released the tension and emotion that had been building with a great shout of laughter at Goyle's strange encouragement though it died almost as soon as it started when the Hungarian Horntail roared. Cassie turned to her task with determination and, at the sound of the starting cannon, walked deliberately up to stand in front of the dragon. Despite her previous reservations she had decided to at least make an attempt at talking to the beast before resorting to her more usual and violent methods.

 _"Umm hello?"_

The horntail eyed her coldly with suspicion and let out a few puffs of smoke from it's nostrils.

 _"Can you understand me?"_

A sudden jet of white hot flame shot towards her, forcing Cassie to jump behind a large rock and leaving a huge patch of scorched earth in its wake right where she had just been standing. Hmmm. She'd take that as a 'no' then. Still, at least she had now learned that dragons did not actually speak parsel tongue. She wasn't sure how this knowledge helped her out right now but Hermione would be thrilled to hear about it. That girl did love to learn new things. The blast of heat from the flames now licking around the edges of the rock that she was hiding behind brought Cassie back to how she was now going to deal with her current and slightly more pressing problem. That bastard great dragon that she needed to get past.

Okay so if negotiation wasn't going to be an option and given that dragon hide was rather resistant to most spells she would have to either go with her wild elementalism or good old fashioned physical violence. As much as she would have been excited to be able to dole out a damned good thrashing to a dragon, she really wanted to show off some of her power to the assembled morons of the Ministry. Alrighty then. Decision made. Time to start the show.

Cassie hopped up onto the top of the rock and very deliberately made a show of shrugging off her fireproof cloak before dropping her wand into her left hand and ostentatiously giving it an experimental twirl. The horntail took a suprised step back and looked with renewed interest on the tiny human on the rock who was grinning and spinning her little stick. She wasn't afraid, as she had never yet come up against a wizard or witch whose magic could hurt her one on one, but there was something distinctly odd about this girl. The way she was not running away or cowering in fear but just standing there as if there wasn't a large and terrifying dragon less than twenty feet in front of her was quite un-nerving. She roared her challenge right in the girl's face, covering it in brimstone breath and spittle. Infuriatingly the small, painted witch simply raised one eyebrow and gave her a very disgusted look. Done with the preliminaries and determined to wipe that smug grin off of the girl's face, the Hungarian horntail reared back onto her haunches and prepared to unleash her attack in earnest.

"Oooowwww ... aaahhhh ... eeeeeee."

Sirius tried very quietly to let out his moan of pain as Susan Bones' vice like grip grew tighter at the appalling sight of a dragon about to incinerate her girlfriend, threatening to break every bone in his hand. He could understand it though, his heart was in his mouth somewhat too and he returned the red head's pressure a little.

When Cassie saw the horntail rear back to renew her attack she whipped up her wand and hit the fearsome winged serpent with the strongest elemental banisher that she had ever cast. The results surprised both of the combatants as due to the girl's low postion and the dragon's towering size it was hurled backwards and upwards with incredible speed coming to an abrupt halt when it reached the end of it's long chain some two hundred feet away from her. The instinctive reaction of the great beast was to ignore the painful snap of the collar and immediately try to open it's wings to keep the advantage of height from which to rain down it's fire upon the enemy. Cassie, however, hadn't been extensively studying dragon combat behaviour for the last ten days for nothing and was ready for this. Making circles with her wand and using the yew focus like a conductor's baton she wrapped her opponent in ever decreasing circles of swirling air before reaching out with her right hand to magically grasp the spinning element in a loose fist. And then she clenched it shut.

There was a muffled, but still loud, hiss around the arena as the horntail felt it's half unfurled wings squeezed back onto her torso, her neck extended and her snout slammed tightly closed. The slitted, reptilian eyes grew and dilated as, for the first time when facing a lone human, the dragon became intimately acquainted with two extremely unfamiliar feelings. Pain and Fear. Within a few seconds and with two small movements this tiny, young, black haired witch had a centuries old Hungarian horntail dragon completely immobilised and totally at her mercy.

"Holy fucking crap on a cracker."

Susan was _so_ excited and _so_ relieved that she actually swore. And she wasn't the only one. The stands were in absolute uproar. As much as they had expected the violent and temperamental young woman to put up a good fight, no-one had expected that the fourth year witch would be capable of _this._ No matter what their house, blood status or station in life, every single person in a Hogwarts robe was on their feet and cheering for their lives as Cassandra Evans-Black drew the enormous, air bound dragon towards her slightly. When she lifted it once again before bringing her clenched fist down and slamming the dragon into the ground with immense force, half burying the beast in the soft earth, the cheer became a deafening roar.

Walking slowly towards her downed and stunned adversary Cassie decided that she was going to do a 'belt and braces' job on the horntail because she really didn't want to be burned alive should the beast regain it's senses. Also she had got a little wrapped up in the adulation of her fellow students (and most of the teachers by now) and wanted to play to the crowd. Just a little bit. Pointing her wand at a small stand of trees just outside the arena Cassie concentrated hard and 'pulled' the roots through the earth and beneath the safety wards. When they reached ther destination she relinquished her grasp on the dragon, holstered 'Miss Deathtree' and raised both hands straight up into the air. From all around the huge, fallen creature tree roots exploded from the ground, scattering dirt and stones, and wrapped themselves across it's body, pinning it securely in place.

"Black! ... Black! ... Black! ... Black!"

The chant went up and grew in power as the tattooed witch strolled nonchalantly past the horntail and up to the large pile of eggs. Rummaging around a little until she found the golden fake, Cassie held it aloft, planted a kiss on the glittering surface and then skipped off back towards the champions tent clutching her shiny prize to her chest.

Up in the stands Susan and Sirius' proud, happy expressions at Cassie's brilliant performance fell away in tandem as they saw the dragon handlers move to release the recumbent horntail without stunning it first. Or even ensuring that the area was clear. What the hell were these idiots bloody playing at. Predictably as the last of it's restraints was removed the dragon's eye snapped open and, knocking over the panicking wizards, it roared it's challenge as it raced towards Cassie's back.

"Nooooo!"

The first indication that something was wrong was the solitary scream from the stands. The second was the humiliated roar of an incredibly pissed off Hungarian horntail. Cassie's reaction was instantaneous. Quite honestly she had been expecting something like this to happen after catching sight of the clearly less than intelligent dragon handlers and their unbelievably inept attempts at coralling even the relatively docile Common Welsh Green. So no, she didn't hesitate for even a single moment, dropping and morphing her dagger while spinning around and charging right at the monster.

The sledge hammer looked so impossibly large for such a small girl but she used the weight to her advantage cartwheeling it backwards and using the momentum to accelerate the iron head into the underside of the horntail's approaching jaw. For the second time in less than five minutes pain exploded through the dragon's brain and her mouth snapped shut. The massive blow from the hammer and the resulting rebounding, reactive forces between the weapon and it's target had two interesting and unfortunate (for the dragon) effects. The first of these was that the horntail's head snapped back exposing it's throat and soft (well softer than the rest of it anyway) underbelly and the second was that the collision sent Cassie's hammer spinning back in a cartwheel of the opposite direction.

Once again the black haired witch used the momentum to her advantage. She leaped forward, propelling herself with a burst of air magic and morphing the hammer into her favourite, pointy weapon, buried the scythe deep into the horntail's chest. The great beast roared in agony, arching it's back in a futile effort to escape both the deadly little human and it's wickedly sharp and excruciatingly painful implement of death. For all of it's furious and panicked thrashing around the only thing that the horntail managed to achieve was to set up the conditions for it's own destruction. Cassie held on grimly and rode out the wild movements by bracing her feet against the scales and hanging on tightly to the handle of her scythe and as the dragon ceased it's movements wih a jerk she found herself sliding down it's body as her keen blade sliced through scales, muscle, bone and tendons.

Her progress down the creature's belly came to an end as she pushed off, twisting and somersaulting to land securely on her feet, the huge scythe slanted across her shoulders for balance. It was wildly impressive right up to the point at which two hundred pounds of dragon blood and intestines fell from the sky and engulfed her. Although to be fair pretty much every student watching thought that it was brilliant. Disgusting. But still brilliant. And they let their feelings out with an enormous shout while she went to retrieve her egg. Again.

"Black! ... Black! ... Black! ... Black!"

The baying crowd chanted her name and cheered her from the field as the gore covered and scowling Cassandra stomped over to the champions tent for the second and hopefully last time, trailing bloody bootmarks across the short grass in her wake. She grumpily trudged past the body the Hungarian horntail before a thought seemed to occur to her and she ran back to deliver a couple of vicious kicks to the still twitching corpse. _Another_ bloody dragon had ruined _another_ pair of her leather trousers. Stupid firey twats. She waved her free hand angrily behind her and a dual bolt of lightning crashed down from the cloudless sky to strike her already slain foe, making it jump and smoke and sizzle and causing the biggest cheer yet from the audience.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Inside the large mobile infirmary the smell was utterly revolting. Healing potions and burnt flesh made for a heady, if disgusting, aroma and it permeated every part of cordoned off area. It certainly didn't get any sweeter when Cassandra Evans-Black walked and thumped herself down on the edge of the last remaining hospital bed covered in blood and whatever vile thing that bloody dragon had been digesting this morning. The three other champions, who were all nursing varying degrees of burns, gouges and grazes, stared horrified at the fourth year witch unable to voice their dread at her grim appearance. Madame Poppy Pomfrey, school healer had no such trouble voicing her concern.

"Dear Merlin, are you feeling alright Miss Evans?"

Cassie gave her a toothy grin and an enthusiastic thumbs up. Poppy looked down at her suddenly not so spotless white apron that was now flecked with small red dots and raised her eyebrow at the girl in cool annoyance. Whoops. The nurse took a pointed step backwards before running her wand over Cassie rather more roughly than was strictly necessary for a simple diagnostic spell. Her eyebrow climbed further up her forehead at the results. Or actually, more like the lack of results.

"You're fine dear, a touch exhausted magically speaking, but otherwise in perfect health."

Cedric, Fleur and Viktor's eyes widened at that statement from the healer. They were starting to realise that if Evans-Black was unharmed then it meant that all that blood had to come from someone else. Or some _thing_ else. Like a ... no. Surely it wasn't possible. She was so very little. Though at least both Fleur and Cedric had to admit that she was also so very creepy, sitting there all covered in blood and that given her reputation for violence it could indeed be possible. Viktor, however, remained unconvinced, despite the mounting evience.

"Are the champions all ready to come and receive their scores?" Ludo Bagman bounced in to the tent further testing Poppy's already paper thin patience.

"Other than needing a good long soak in the bath ..." Here her gaze shifted to the soggy, blood drenched heiress of House Black. "Some more than others ... They're all fit to go."

"Smashing. Give me a moment to get back up to the other judges and then send them on out."

Poppy muttered something under her breath which was most likely not very complimentary and then shooed the young people towards the exit of her domain and the end of her responsibilities to them. Although she did press copious amounts of burn salve on to the three older students with instructions that they were not to miss any applications on pain of her ... _displeasure_. They all shuddered at that unpleasant thought and made their way out with heartfelt thanks and promises of compliance.

Not two minutes later the champions stood blinking in the winter sunlight, lined up in the arena to receive their scores. Three pairs of eyes flickered about, taking in the devastation that had not been evident when they were doing their tasks, including the bloody great crater and the gutted, smoking corpse of a Hungarian horntail. Cedric Diggory managed to pick his jaw up from off of the floor for long enough to exclaim.

"Bloody hell Cassandra, you don't do things by halves do you."

She snorted with repressed amusement and punched him playfully in the arm, splattering his robes with horntail blood. She favoured the friendly Hufflepuff with a contrite, chagrined grin and wiped ineffectually at his now dirty sleeve which only succeeded in making it even more bloody. Instead of annoying him her actions just made him laugh all the harder.

An emotionally spent Susan Bones was leaning floppily on her girlfriend's dad's shoulder and smiling gently at Cassie's clowning around with her former house mate. She was certainly more comfortable with Cedric being attentive to her than she was with that snotty, blonde Beaubaxton's girl. Diggory was a decent and honourable young man who wouldn't try anything on with her, not that he would have got very far if he did (all the wrong equipment for Cassie) but the Delacour girl? Well she was _French._ Which, in her opinion, was just another way of saying loose moralled slut. Mademoiselle Fleur Delacour was not exactly helping this low opinion of her since she was currently treating Susan's grlfriend to some very smouldering sidelong glances. The red head's eye twitched in irritation and she drew her wand, keeping it out of sight to hit the forward Gallic trollop with a subtle stinging hex which made her yelp out loud. Smile restored, Miss Bones snuggled back into the chuckilng Sirius' side to listen to the judges points being awarded.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Susan had taken her girlfriend straight from the stadium back to the bathroom in their tower and set about cleaning the tired girl. Now that they were alone Cassie could finally let her exhaustion show. Something that she would _never_ do in front of the headmaster. She absolutely could not show _any_ kind of weakness to the meddling old git or he would certainly find a way to use it against her. But now, here with her Suzie she could let go at last. Here there were no politics, no plans, just them. And so she allowed the red head to strip her and guide her beneath shower head, leaning forward to rest her head on Suzie's shoulder and luxuriate in the feel of the hot water and the gentle, stroking of the sponge. Freshly scrubbed, she was carried to the bath and held securely in her girlfriends loving arms as the water and the soothing bubbles did their work.

 **I'm sorry I scared you love. I should have paid more attention or not tried talking to it. I mean what was I thinking? It was a nesting mother dragon who quite obviously saw me as a threat and I was trying to have a nice little chat with it. Stupid.**

"I don't care about that or anything else, love. You're safe and that's all that matters."

Back in the common room Cassie lay with her head in Suzie's lap and Shortcake curled up on her stomach while Luna and Ginny painted a new tattoo on to her now clean right arm. Cassie's eyelids fluttered open despite these tender ministrations and she held her girlfriend's warm brown eyes with her own sparkling, emerald gaze. At moments like this she was increasingly finding that words between the two of them were no longer necessary. They seemed to communicate more with a look or a smile than not now. She supposed it was a side effect of the deepening connection between the two of them. Of their love. It was odd to think that she, the untrusting girl with the heart of the coldest granite, had found love. This beautiful, cool, sweet, courageous, red haired siren had breached her inner walls with an ease and grace that she could not fathom even if she had wanted to. She might be the Freaks' dark angel but Susan was their red queen. And indisputably the queen of her heart.

As Luna declared herself satisfied with her handiwork, Suzie gently eased her up off the sofa.

"Come on sweetie, your mad family are all waiting for us down in the great hall. Probably best not to keep them waiting too long or they might get themselves into trouble. Again. Besides, I suspect that you'll be wanting to show off your latest piece of body art."

She looked down at the rampant and roaring Hungarian horntail dragon being impaled on a lightning bolt and a slow grin spread across her face. Oh yes. Padfoot would shit a brick when he saw this. Not to mention her grandma's reaction. She could almost taste the disappointment already. Awesome. She lifted her python, placing him carefully around her neck, grabbed Suzie by the hand and fairly skipped off to greet her adoring public in the dining hall.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **I know, I know, I'm a terrible bastard for having Cassie kill the poor, defenceless, mummy dragon. Feel free to take me to task for it at your convenience. Still I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I did writing it. I've been lookng forward to writing this chapter for a** _ **really**_ **long time. So much fun.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	29. Chapter 29

**I can't believe you lot loved that I had Cassie kill that poor old dragon. No actually I kind of can. Initially I wasn't going to do that but as I was writing it the scene sort of just flowed and took me there all on it's own. You know how it is right?**

 **For those of you that don't remember, Cassie now has four tattoos; Basilisk and sword left arm, dragon and lightning bolt right arm, Welsh flag with 'made in Wales' right hip and the dark angel across her back. Anyway, more plots, more plans and a bit of a treat for all of the Charli x Hermione shippers out there.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **29\. Point Blank.**

The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry weekly staff meeting had never been quite so much fun, Barty Crouch Junior thought, and this was before the weird old headmaster had even arrived. All of this amusement was coming from four of the professors in particular. Sinistra, McGonagall, Flitwick and perhaps most surprisingly his old Death Eater colleague Severus Snape were clearly suffering from the after effects of an extremely heavy night. The delightfully revolting thought that they had all been engaged in heavily mis-matched, alcohol fuelled orgy would have sprung straight to his warped and twisted mind had he not known that they had been partying with Evans and the Psycho Freaks last night. The fact that they had managed to get their teachers drunk enough to look this bad the next morning was highly impressive. But then pretty much everything about Cassandra Evans-Black was impressive. Apart from her points tally in the Tri-Wizard tournament that is.

How the hell that stunnng performance that she gave had landed her in last place he still couldn't quite comprehend. Also it was pretty bloody annoying for him as he was supposed to make sure that she won this thing and got to the trophy first. What would happen to her after she was whisked away by the portkey disguised as a cup he wasn't privvy to but he doubted it would be very pleasant if the Dark Lord was involved. He wondered, not for the first time, whether he would be able to talk his Lord into sparing the spectacularly violent and entertaining young woman. Well that was if she didn't kill him first. Which he had to admit, having seen her utterly demolish that bloody great dragon, was a distinct possibility. At that point Barty Junior would probably be having to try and convince her not to kill him as well. Although death looked as if it might be a blessed relief for a few of his coleagues this morning if the chorus of groans as the door banged loudly open to admit the headmaster were anything to go by.

Albus Dumbledore crashed noisily into the staff room with a determined gleam in his eye. He had been extremely annoyed last night by the stratospheric rise in the Evans girl's popularity among the residents of his school following her, admittedly brilliant and exciting, completion of the first task yesterday. However, a good night's sleep and a tasty breakfast had brought him some much needed clarity in respect to the 'girl-who-lived'. Of course the fact that he had exercised no small amount of petty revenge by giving her a paltry score of five out of ten and together with Maxime and Karkaroff's equally low scores it had resulted in a total of thirty one. This score put her in last place despite her finishing the task fastest and being completely uninjured. At the time this had delighted the headmaster but had unfortunately come with quite a few draw backs.

Firstly and most importantly, in his view, it had resulted in him receiving a massive round of boos and jeers from nearly every student from every house in Hogwarts. It was extremely distressing for someone as used to be so universally loved as he was and while he could brush it off to some extent as children being fickle he was certain that the press would also be censuring him. And that would hurt. Secondly was the fact that his little fit of pique meant that Evans was last which, although amusing, wasn't terribly helpful since he needed her to win so that Tom's little resurrection plan could happen. He had to admit that, having taken the details of said plan from Crouch Junior's mind, it was a stroke of genius for the self styled Dark Lord to use the trophy as a portkey. The last and most annoying reason was the fact that when the scores were announced the nasty little half blood bitch actually grinned at him and gave a cheerful wave and a cheeky little bow. She clearly didn't give a monkey's about the score. Well either that or she was doing it on purpose just to wind him up.

Interestingly, Albus had discovered that his little battle of wits and wills with Evans had become rather entertaining over the last few months. She had proven herself to be a surprisingly intelligent, cunning, powerful and more than a touch humorous opponent, much more so than Tom, and he was enjoying their back and forth immensely. He still thought she was an abomination with her freakish ideas of equality (just look at the ridiculous specimens that she took under her wing) and he had absoutely no compunction in killing her in the future but she was at least making things interesiting. Truthfully it was making him re-think his entire attitude towards the girl. He was beginning to realise that he hadn't been very subtle when it came to his dealings with her since she and her friends (Miss Bones in particular) appeared to know precisely what he was going to do even before he did it. It may be time for him to pull back from his more obvious plots and plans for her and become more Slytherin in his dealings. In any case his former head boy Tom would no doubt give her enough of a work out once he regained his mortal form.

In his arrogance the old man assumed that if he now outwardly treated the 'girl-who-lived' more fairly then his reputation would only increase more and all of his old followers would come running at his call. Sirius, Remus and Minerva had all been committed members of his Order of the Phoenix in the past and they would not be able to resist the call of the 'light', whatever their grievances against him. He was positive that all would be forgiven and forgotten. Apparently deliberately leaving one of your top soldiers in Azkaban for over a decade and repeatedly memory charming two others didn't make it on to his list for unforgiveable things to do. Nevertheless Albus believed that they would simply let it go and then convince the 'girl-who-lived' to also trust in his vision. Right up to the point that he had them all killed. Some days it was simply fantastic to be living in the great and powerful mind of Albus Dumbledore.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

It was a rather nervous Parvati Patil who trailed reluctantly along behind Lavender Brown as she approached the black haired half sisters at the front of the dungeon classroom. Two pairs of dark eyebrows raised in cool condescension and slight confusion greeted the Gryffindors' unexpected arrival at their station. Parvati was suddenly thinking that she needed the toilet as the creepy dragon slayer Freak studied them as if they were a particularly interesting and tasty new species of prey. Lavender, however, was completely oblivious to the ominous aura of extreme danger that these two were giving off and ploughed ahead with the plan that she had cooked up the previous night regardless.

"So now that you're friends with him, I was thinking that you could talk to Cedric Diggory about him going to the Yule Ball with me."

The fact that the girl didn't once look at the person she was actually talking to spoke volumes about both her attitude and her manners. And nothing made Cassie more annoyed than bad manners. Well, trying to kill her annoyed her more and upsetting her girlfriend got her pretty bloody mad too. Okay so quite a few things got her more annoyed than bad manners but that was still no excuse for it and she wasn't going to make this easy for the Gryffindor skank. Intending to get Charli to string her along a bit, she was pleasantly surprised when her sister jumped in without needing to be prodded.

"And why would we want to do that?"

"Because I'm telling you to freak."

There was a scraping of stools on flagstones as the grim looking sisters stood and put themselves right up into lavender's face. Parvati's beautiful, caramel coloured skin turned a nasty shade of ash grey as their argument looked like it was going to escalate into violence. If there was one person that you didn't want to get into a physical confrontation with it was Cassandra Evans-Black, the 'freak in chief' and the girl who had slaughtered a dragon. Like yesterday. Her blonde haired friend was always getting her involved in these kinds of situations and it all went horribly wrong on a depressingly regular basis. She really should start hanging out with her twin sister more instead.

Luckily for the two Gryffindor witches Susan and Hermione, who had been closely monitoring the situation from the minute that they had heard Lavender Brown's strident voice addressing them, sprung into action. Each grabbing their respective black haired lovelies, whispering calming words and gently guiding them away from the danger area while Parvati hauled the still ranting Lavender off and out of the dungeon. To his credit professor Snape didn't comment or even blink as he took in the new seating postions which he had not assigned or agreed to. Nor did he make any allusions to the red and nearly snarling countenances of Cassie and Charli, deciding to simply proceed as if there was nothing out of the ordinary in his class.

Susan Bones had claimed the desk at the front of the room in order to keep her volatile girlfriend focused towards the chalkboard and away from any distractions provided by stupid, blonde Gryffindors. Charli on the other hand found herself physically hemmed in between Hermione and the dungeon wall with no possible route to get out and start in on Lavender 'Bitch' Brown again. She also had her left hand being clamped in a death grip by Hermione's right which the bushy haired girl promptly buried in her lap, slightly in between her thighs. The position her fingers were in, along with the heat radiating from the other girl's centre, soon had Charli so distracted that she could barely remember her own name let alone any events from earlier on in the lesson. As she felt the friction when those delicious, meaty thighs rubbed together across her fingers and heard the resulting quiet sigh from the bright witch next to her she vowed that today would be the day that she finally declared herself. She was going to ask Hermione Granger on a date. And not just any date.

As the last sneering whisper of Severus Snape's homework instruction left the man's lips Hermione relaxed at last. It had been an awkward potions class for her. Thankfully the professor hadn't asked them to brew anything as she wasn't sure quite how well that would have gone with Charli's hand clasped grimly in hers. Another reason for the awkward was her somewhat interesting reaction to having Charlotte Potter's hand jammed up near the apex to her thighs. It had got her all hot and bothered and also more than a little squirmy when the girl flexed and wiggled those wicked fingers of hers. Packing up and pulling her out of the classroom Hermione decided that if the Irish girl didn't ask her out soon then she would just have to take things into her own hands. So to speak.

Tumbling and stumbling through the corridors and passageways of the castle on their way to Charms the four fourth year Psycho Freaks were in a playful mood which was a bit of a surprise given how annoyed two of them had been less than two hours ago. Cassie nudged her girlfriend and nodded in the direction of her witch obsessed sister who currently seemed to be searching for something important while Hermione gave her small sidelong glances and smiling.

 **Please tell me we weren't that bad.**

"Oh love, we were much worse."

 **Really?**

"So Ginny says."

 **Like she can talk. I swear I'm going to have to lock her and Lulu in a bloody broom closet together before they talk about what's going on between the two of them. Speaking of which.**

Cassie pointed at Charli who had finally found what she had been looking so hard for and with a whoop of glee from herself and an 'eep' of surprise from Hermione bundled the two of them through a nondescript wooden door on their left. From the multitude of dull, crashing sounds that issued from behind the now closed door it was clear that this was indeed a broom closet. Suzie snorted and giggled before taking Cassie's hand and, giving the others some privacy, skipping off to Charms. The Black heiress followed in her wake feeling a bit confused. Her girlfriend must be _really_ happy for some reason because Susan Bones did _not_ skip.

It was dark and cramped in the broom closet so when Hermione pulled her wand to give them some light her hand brushed right across the front of Charli's skirt. There was a very out of character strangled squeak from the black haired girl as she jerked away and banged her head on the shelf behind her while her companion conjured a bluebell flame in one of the empty jars laying around. Now able to see her properly she flicked her eyes to an annoyed but ever so sightly amused looking Hermione Granger who was obviously wondering what the bloody hell was going on. Well here goes nothing.

"Umm, so. You ... Yule Ball ... me ...'kay?" The words tumbled out of her mouth in a completely disjointed mutter and she mentally slapped herself.

"In English please Charlotte."

There was a long sigh from the other girl. One of the many cool things that Charli admired about her sister was the subtle air of self assured confidence that she exuded in any and all situations. When Cassie wanted something then she went all out for it. No messing around or half arsing it and if it didn't work out? Well at least she had tried. Channelling the spirit of the emerald eyed lovely she drew herself up and looked Hermione right in the eye and tried again. Deep breath now and ...

"Hermione Jean Granger, would you do me the very great honour of accompanying me to the Yule Ball?"

"And you're asking me this in a broom closet because?"

Charli felt her newly found confidence starting to drain away under the bushy haired girl's close scrutiny and struggled to pull herself back together enough to answer her. Merlin's pants this girl just sent her all to pieces. Shaking her head and taking in another deep breath Charli replied with a sense of authority that she really wasn't feeling right about now.

"Because when you say yes I'm going to snog you senseless and I didn't want our first kiss to be that public."

"When I say yes."

"Mmmhmm." If she hadn't been gripping tight to the shelf behind her Charli would have been shaking with the anticipation and was definitely not in any state to actually speak.

"Oh. Alright then." Hermione held out her hand to stop the suddenly excited and bright eyed young woman from advancing. "Let's do this properly shall we?" She paused and cleared her throat. "Miss Potter I would be most delighted to accompany you to the Yule Ball as your date."

"Feckin' yes!" And with that the black haired witch launched herself at Hermione.

The first kiss from Charli was light and sweet and over far too quickly for Hermione who surprised both of them by grabbing the other girl by the hips, turning her, slamming her back against the door and giving her a damned good snogging. The Irish witch's blue eyes widened comically as the normally quiet and composed bookworm growled and continued her assault on Charli's mouth. Not that she was complaining mind. This new agressive side of Hermione was a lot of fun. Not to mention smoking bloody hot. Her brain stopped all attempts at rational thought at that point as she felt slim fingers tugging insistently at the hem of her skirt before inching upwards and starting to caress the smooth skin above her stocking top.

When the pair finally made it to their charms class twenty minutes late they looked like they had been in a protracted battle with a muggle combine harvester. Their clothes were rumpled, poorly rebuttoned and even torn in some places, their hair was wild and tangled and their lipstick was smeared from nose to chin. The only thing that showed that their activities had been a little more pleasurable in nature was the identical wide 'just been snogged stupid' grins adorning their faces. Susan and Cassie took one look and gave the girls an impressed round of applause which was quickly picked up on by the rest of the class. Including, to Hermione's horror and ever lasting embarrassment, a very enthusiastic professor Flitwick.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

In all the excitement over the upcoming Yule Ball Cassie couldn't help thinking that they'd forgotten about something. Or someone. Oh my god. Luna and Ginny. The four older girls had got all caught up in their preparations for the Ball and completely forgotten about the third years. Feeling incredibly guilty for their total lack of tact, Cassie and Susan even offered to take Luna and Ginny as their respective dates in an act of contrition, sacrificing their first ball as a couple to please their friends. A tearful Ginny Weasley who was quite overcome with the touching gesture had haltingly explained that her mum was still being a total bitch and wouldn't allow her to attend anyway. Luna on the other hand was supremely uninterested in the whole affair and waved away Cassie's offer saying that she would much rather play with the Black family at Grimmuald than flounce round at some poncy ball.

The invitation for Christmas/Yule celebrations at Twelve Grimmuald Place had been extended by Sirius to all of the freaks and their families or guardians and every single one, excepting the Weasleys, had repllied in the positive. From the Rothschilde's who, while ecstatic that their unwanted daughter was finally proving useful, were not about to mix with half breeds and mudbloods themselves, to Juliettes dad who was so excited to see a magical mansion that he'd had a nosebleed, and everyone in between. Even the normally shy and quiet Cerys had jumped at the invite since it meant that she could show her brother all of the actual, non imaginary friends that she had made this term. They were all incredibly excited about the holidays, more so as Cassie and Susan were going to be staying with them in london and flooing into Hogwarts for the Ball.

The excitement carried on all the way into the great hall until a large shadow loomed over the dinner table bringing a halt to the happy conversation. The gloomy and glowering Viktor Krum gave what he obviously considered to be a charming smile. Cassie thought he just looked like he had a severe case of constipation from a diet of too much raw meat and bullshit from his headmaster.

"Herm-o-ninny Grenger."

 **Oh balls. What does this idiot want?**

"Ummm, that's me." she muttered under her breath a follow up. "I'm guessing."

"I am delighted to say that you will be given the honour of being my date to the Yule Champions Ball."

"Hmmm? Oh. No thanks."

"What?" That stopped him in his tracks.

"No thanks. It's very nice of you to offer and all but I've already got a date thank-you."

Hermione rather kindly ignored the fact that he hadn't actually asked her but had instead demanded that she accompany him without giving her the option. However rude he was though, the Doctors Granger had raised her better than that and she was not about to be impolite to anyone in a public place. No matter how much of a moronic, arrogant, self important knob she thought they were.

"You are not understanding me Herm-o-ninny. You have the honour of being my date to the Yule Ball."

"I am _not_ misunderstanding you Mister Krum, I am simply saying no to your _kind offer_."

Cassie loved it when Hermione's patience ran out and she started in with those incredibly polite replies delivered in that wickedly sarcastic tone of voice that left you a bit confused and wondering as to whether or not you had just been insulted rather bady. Unfortunately it was all a bit wasted on the thick skinned young Bulgarian man in front of them who was entirely un-used to being told no by anyone, let alone some barely attractive fifteen year old witch. She should have been begging to go with someone as awesome and good looking as him and he was not about to take 'no' for an answer from this bushy haired beast.

"That is not acceptable. You are coming to the Ball with me."

"Which part of 'no' are you failing to understand you great feckin' eejit."

 **You tell him sis'.**

Charli was fairly snarling at the arrogant dickhead who kept hitting on her almost, kind of nearly, possibly, maybe girlfriend. Which was amusing her half sister no end at the moment. Until that is, he turned on the Irish witch and raised his hand to her. At that point the Durmstrang champion very quickly found himself on the business end of eight wands and one very large and nasty looking dagger as the Freaks seemed to take a great deal of offense at him threatening one of their own. Before the shocked young man could respond to this new, swift and very real threat with any more of his usual bluster and insults he was stilled by a soft reprimand.

"Mister Krum." The great hall rang to the amplified voice of Albus Dumbledore. "If you would be so good as to not antagonise either the other champions or any of my other students I would greatly appreciate it."

The words were soft but the tone in which they were spoken left no-one in any doubt as to their meaning. The headmaster was in no uncertain terms instructing the Durmstrang champion to leave the Psycho Freaks alone and virtually the whole of the school goggled at the old man in shock. He had never in her entire Hogwarts career spoken in anything but thinly veiled censure and derision to Cassandra Evans-Black and to hear him now actually defending her had many of the students checking their ears for defects.

At the Psycho Freak table nine heads instantly whipped around and nine pairs of eyes fastened on to the headmaster and held him rooted to the spot. This was _not_ normal behaviour for the bearded wonder and they were rightly suspicious of his motives for this magmanimous and extremely out of character act. A very serious looking Cassie rapped her knuckles sharply on the table to get the girls' attention after Viktor had slunk off back to the Slytherins in defeat.

 **No-one goes anywhere alone from now on girls. Groups of two or more everywhere including bathroom visits. I don't want to give that nasty great gobshite any chances at retaliation and I still don't trust Dumbledork to keep us safe. Okay?**

There was unanimous agreement from all the house members as their eyes flickered between the grumbling and murmering Durmstrang contingent and the headmaster, full of distrust for both. Every single one of the Howarts professors were also glaring at their Eastern European visitors with ill disguised disgust. Since her magnificent display of magic in the first task they had come to look upon her as one of their own (finally) and also they didn't want to think about the consequences of failing to support her. If Cassandra Evans-Black had made them uncomfortable before, now they thought of her as a borderline psychopath with a _really_ bad temper and they did _not_ want to incur the wrath of someone who could single handedly slaughter a Hungarian horntail dragon. The only one of the staff who was visibly relaxed and nonchalant about the whole affair was Severus Snape, although this was only a veneer. Inside he was extremely angry with the dunderhead Krum and already plotting a series of very painful potions 'accidents' which would befall the unfortunate boy in the near future.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Riddle manor, although still a ruin to anyone looking from the outside, was starting to become an almost pleasant living environment once you stepped through the front door. Well if you ignored the fact that there was a tiny, screaming, bad tempered, baby Dark Lord laying in wait ready to crucio anyone that walked within range. Lucius Malfoy was then being partcularly wary as he stepped carefully across the threshold and into the large open hallway. After his last few visits here and the punishments to which he had been subjected for various spurious reasons the blond haired aristocrat had become much more sneaky in making his approach to the study where Voldebaby was ensconced. He had even developed an unexpected sympathy for the poor, put upon rat animagus, Pettigrew. As the thought entered his head, the man in question entered the entrance hall and, after exchanging nods with the long suffering man, he followed him into the Dark Lord's 'chamber of pain'.

"Lucius. Why is it that the Evans bitch has been free to enjoy her school year unmolested. Has young Draco not been doing his duty."

"Unfortunately My Lord, Draco is currently unable to act against the girl due to family issues."

"Family issues?"

Contrary to the widely held belief among the light families, Lucius Malfoy was not a stupid man. Okay so he wasn't going to win a Nobel prize any time soon, in fact he would be hard pressed to finish the Daily Prophet quick crossword, but what he lacked in magical talent and intelligence he more than made up for in cunning. And, looking at the bad tempered toddler that currently held the essence of his master, he was going to need every ounce of that cunning to avoid an extended crucio session today.

"Yes My Lord. As you may be aware my wife Narcissa is a member of the House of Black and that membership extends to my son, making him essentially both a Malfoy and a Black. This, while being both politically and financially useful for your plans, does mean that he is prohibited from taking any action which would harm either the person or the reputation of the primary heir to the House of Black."

"I see, and what is your solution to this tricky dilema Lucius."

The blonde hesitated and flicked his eyes to Pettigrew's face for moment trying to catch his eye. The rat like man shrugged and gave him an 'it's your funeral' kind of gesture. Peter had an idea of what the usually arrogant man was about to suggest and he was, frankly, a bit surprised at this rare display of backbone from him.

"We bring her over to our side, My Lord."

"Bring her over to our side." Even in his curernt form Voldemort's crisply delivered words sut like a knife. "You think we could?"

"From what Draco has said there is certainly no love lost between her and her family and Dumbledore. The old fool seems to have gone out of his way to make an enemy out of her. Black himself may be a step too far but recruiting the girl to our cause _could_ be achievable"

"Hmmm."

The spirit of Voldemort peered out from his tiny, fleshy prison at the rightly nervous blonde man in front of him and pretended to be gving the idea some serious consideration. Malfoy was not the first one of his people to make this ridiculous suggestion to him but he would definitely be the last after what he was about to do to this idiot. And it was a ridiculous suggestion because no matter how much of a dick his old headmaster was being to the 'girl-who-failed-to-die', what Albus Dumbledore hadn't done was to murder her parents and try to kill her. That was all his own work and he fully expected the Evans girl to come after him with everything that she had for it. _Then_ she might go after the old man but once he revealed himself Voldemort knew exactly who was going to be right at the top of her little 'to do' list and it wouldn't be the Chief Warlock.

"Crucio."

He really did need to start recruiting a better class of minion Voldemort thought as he dispassionately watched the head of the Noble House of Malfoy writhing around the floor in a puddle of his own piss. He wondered if it might not be simpler to just kill the blonde ponce but at the thought of having to deal with the man's moronic son he stayed his hand before he went too far. He really was incredibly short tempered since Peter Pettigrew had performed the ritual to give him this body. It was hardly surprising though given that he was a half century old wizard that was currently trapped in the small and fragile body of a six month old child. He would forgive himself for the reflex of reaching immediately for the torture curse when one of his followers pissed him off. Speaking of which.

"I do not want to have this conversation again Lucius. Do you understand me?"

The panting and shaking, urine covered Death Eater finally dragged himself up on to his hands and knees and nodded slowly and carefully, making a mental note to keep his opinions to himself next time. Although what was so wrong about this one he truly couldn't fathom. Reason and wizards did not often go together but reason and Lucius Malfoy were positively at the polar opposite ends of the earth. Narcissa would be so disappointed in him he mused, thinking that it was almost worth staying here and being tortured a few more times rather than go home to be glared at by his nightmare of a wife. Almost but not quite. He walked out beyond the wards apparated home to face the music.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **A quick hello and thank-you to healerofuniverse. In response, I don't really write boys terribly well unless they're friendly comic relief or total dicks like Krum. I am fully aware that I have ...** _ **issues**_ **in this regard and I will at least try to take your comments on board.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	30. Chapter 30

**I swear this story excites and amuses me more and more the further we go on. Also I quite literally nearly wet my pants earlier this week when I saw the fantastic guest review from an SW and if you are who I think you are then all I have to say is; I am not worthy, great master. But thanks anyway.**

 **Now, to borrow a phrase from the sainted Philosophise, it's time for some much anticipated 'Yule Ball Panic'.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **30\. Ballroom Blitz.**

December started well enough for Cassie and her friends. The first weekend was spent having a brunch party in the upper year dormitory and pouring over the numerous newspapers and magazines that carried reports of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Susan and Hermione had ended up having to enlarge one of the beds enough to accomodate all nine witches, two cats, one python and an extremely interested house elf. Along with all of the snacks and drinks that were essential to any good mid morning slumber party.

They started with the Daily Prophet, Susan reading out the surprisingly well written article for the gathered young witches in her strong, confident voice full of pride for her magnificent girlfriend. The correspondent, one Rita Skeeter, had actually made a pretty decent job of the piece seeming to achieve a delicate balance between praising Cassie's obvious skill and bravery while at the same time understanding how Dumbledore had scored her down. Her tacit support and approval of the young Black heiress was evident in her cleverly constructed phraseology but she was also extremely careful not to outright critisize the headmaster too much for his actions. The more Susan read the more it seemed to Cassie that this woman was walking a very thin tightrope and trying to keep both her and Dumbledork on side and it surprised her. Subtle was not a game that many reporters cared to play so this Rita Skeeter was intriguing her and making a pretty good impression to be honest. She might have to talk to Grandma about the possibilty of giving her an actual interview. Miss Skeeter may be good at ferreting out what she wanted to hear but it was a cast iron guarantee that Walburgia Black was better at keeping their secrets hidden.

The Quibbler was next with Luna presenting the paper to Ginny for her to read out to which request, after a brief period of pleading and crying by the strange blonde girl, her red headed friend finally relented. Quite honestly Ginny Weasley felt a bit awkward and self conscious reading out loud to people but even her reticence and discomfort could not make her deny the little blonde nutter whatever she asked. She dove in to the 'newspaper's' totally insane, exhuberant and eccentric description of the first task which quickly had all of the Freaks giggling at the odd wording and gawking at the brilliant action drawings. Ginny was peering closely at the illustrations and finding them awfully familiar. Then again the writing style was also reminding her of something. As she reached the part where the judges were described as being 'infested with fairy bubbles from a snorcack's belly button' Ginny suddenly clicked. It was something that her best friend said on an all too regular basis, it being one of her favourite expressions.

"Lulu. Did you write this?"

She sighed at the now maniacally nodding girl who was being watched with awe by the wide eyed group of first years but couldn't quite keep the smile off of her face. Of course Luna had written it herself, Ginny thought. She adored Cassie and obviously wouldn't have allowed anyone else tell a story involving her friend and idol. That and the fact that her dad let Luna get away with anything provided that it was in the cause of furthering any friendships that the lively but often lonely girl might have.

When it came to Teen Witch Weekly a very red faced Juliet Jones handed it to a surprised Charlotte Potter, whispering in the older girl's ear the embarrassing fact that it was her favourite reading material. The Irish witch gave her a secretive smile and a wink which had young Miss Jones blushing even harder before, opening the magazine to it's Tri-Wizard tournament coverage and beginning. It appeared that as far as Teen Witch Weeky was concerned the tournament judges were all totally biased against the young woman who they described as 'the greatest teenaged witch of her generation'. Cassandra Evans-Black was being held up as some kind of great heroine doing battle with the forces of chauvenism and misogeny that were so prevalent in their society. They were also impressed with her fashion sense, calling her a bright and daring light of liberation for the whole of wizard kind showing that dowdy and voluminous robes were a thing of the past and leather trousers were the exciting new future. She was a role model for young witches all over the country. Which was a truly terrifying thought to everyone listening. Including Cassie. Susan attempted to cover her snort of amusement as she imagined hundreds of little magical girls running around in their underwear, wrapped in red capes and beating up their male relatives with toy scythes. She received a pointed glare from the preening Cassie who pointed to one of the superb action shots of her in full flight, slamming the dragon in the jaw with a huge sledge hammer.

 **You can't laugh Cuddles. I'm a role model, me.**

The renewed laughter didn't stop until Charli began to read again, mesmerising and quieting the witches instantly with her silky smooth voice. So entranced were they by the gentle lilting tones of the Irish witch that there was an immediate and unanimous request for her to continue with the sister publication to the magazine that she had just finished reading. Eight eager faces all gave her the big, wet puppy eyes and she cursed Cassie for teaching them all that particular trick as she caved faster than Luna pouncing on an un-guarded chocolate pudding.

Witch Weekly's article on Cassie focused much more on the socio-political aspects of her entry into the tournament as well as giving a greater amount of background information on her and her ascension to the position of the House of Black's primary heiress. They did give a detailed account of her extraordinary performance in the first task, taking the opportunity to castigate the judging panel in the process, as well. It wasn't quite as over the top and gushing as their affiliate magazine's version but they still managed to make her out to be some kind of a mixture of Joan of Arc and Morgana Le Faye. Which embarrassed her a bit but also left her feeling secretly rather proud of herself. For all of their joking around she really was becoming a strong role model for young witches in this country. The pictures that they used were also much more demure ones from the summer athough they did have a couple of her 'dressed to thrill and dressed to kill' as they insisted on putting it. Cassie noticed some less than subtle body positioning from the younger girls as they tried to be the first to run off with the illustrated magazines and 'study' the pictures in more detail. However, Hermione had clearly prepared for this scenario as she produced multiple copies for everyone. It was a good morning.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The end of the second week in December saw the customary seasonal decrease in workload and motivation for the staff and students at the school. Holiday lassitude had set in with a vengence for all but those preparing for their OWL and NEWT exams this year. Dinner time in the great hall, however, was still well supported and it was here that Albus Dumbledore decided to announce the schedule for the rest of the tournament.

"A few announcements before we all head off to bed." The headmaster was standing before them in full command mode. "Due to the unique circumstances in this Tri-Wizard Tournament we have decided to add a fourth task which will take place at the quidditch pitch on January the fourteenth and will consist of a wandless duel between the champions."

This statement was met with much excited chatter. Some were looking forward to witnessing their first proper duel, others were concerned that their beloved quidditch stadium would be ruined by stray spell fire and more than a few were drooling at the thought of Cassandra Evans-Black in another of her ridiculously skimpy and skintight battle outfits. Although as the headmaster continued with his speech many of them were instantly making plans to acquire wizarding cameras for next term when they heard about the now third task taking place at the Black Lake. Mostly for the prospect of capturing Fleur Delacour and Cassandra Evans-Black in bathing suits, although the boys had their fair share of drooling fan girls (and boys) it was the thought of the two female contestants in barely there bikinis (hopefully) that held most of their hopes and dreams. Many of the castle's residents would spend a long and happy night having a really good _think_ about that. Susan caught the speculative heated looks that the Beaubaxton's champion was, once again, sending towards _her_ Cassie and resolved to make the older girl pay for her lewd thoughts in the most painful, humiliating and degrading way that she could come up with. Which is how, having manoevred the rest of the house into performing various other tasks that were not here, she found herself alone and facing the portrait of Walburgia Black.

"Mrs Black. Hypothetically speaking, how would someone get away with hexing another person in public do you think?"

Walburgia Black grinned at the girl. It was questions like this that had really got her to start to warming up to the red head. If Cassie truly had to be a 'witches witch' then at least her chosen witch was an extremely intelligent and cunning young woman with a protective streak a mile wide when it came to her girlfriend. Apparently she had a bit of temper as well. Oh goody.

"Oh that's easy Miss Bones, one uses wandless magic."

"Wandless magic like Cassie's practising?" Susan looked thoughtful.

"Precisely like that. Perhaps you could offer to help her out with her training. Oh and Susan."

The red headed girl, startled at the sudden use of her first name by the always impeccably proper and polite ancient Black matriarch, blinked rapidly before remembering her manners that the old girl seemed so taken with and answering.

"Yes Mrs Black?"

"If I remember correctly Veela are most particular about their hair."

Walburgia Black didn't miss a thing when it came to keeping her family safely out of trouble. Susan thanked the portrait profusely while she shook her head and muttered something about not getting on the wrong side of a certain vicious old cow all the while mentally accessing her range of spells that would affect the lush silvery blonde locks of the French champion should she try hitting on Cassie again. The red head wondered if she shouldn't seek out some of the less obnoxious Slytherin girls for some assistance on her new pet project. It was rumoured that Daphne Greengrass had some fabulously inventive ways of punishing people who upset her little sister. Daphne Greengrass who was currently failing Herbology (Susan's best subject). Perhaps it was time for a little quid pro quo. Curses for tutoring could even turn out to be quite fun, she thought. She also decided that having Walburgia Black as a tentative friend and ally was far more fun (and safer) than having her as an enemy.

The last two weeks of the month seemed to fly past, although not fast enough for the girls who were so super excited to be spending their Yuletide break together at the ancestral home of the Black's that they were actually reprimanded by a totally exasperated professor McGonagall. Along with Cassie's (and now Susan's) training, the fourth year couples were far too pre-occupied with practicing their dancing for the Yule Ball and also with their budding love lives to pay much attention to ... well anything really, leaving the firsties in the tender loving 'care' of Luna and Ginny. Needless to say this did not calm them down in the slightest. In fact after one particularly disruptive Lovegood seasonal creature hunt in which she had burst in on no fewer than five NEWT classes causing utter mayhem, an intervention had been staged by the now under fire herself Aurora Sinistra.

And before they knew it they were on the train back to Kings Cross. All of them were wedged into one compartment using bags, trunks and each other as cushions and although Cassie herself was more than happy with the arrangement, as she got to sit on her girlfriend's lap the whole way, she did think that they needed to learn the room enlargement charm soon. As fun and cosy as this was it was still a five hour train ride and most of the girls were going to be having trouble walking out on to the platform due to stiff joints and cramp. On arrival at the station though, all of their aches and pains were quickly forgotten when they saw the crowd of their relatives that was waiting for them. Amidst the squeals, shouts, hugs and laughter Cassie and the man who was now her father leaned against each other and smiled, holding hands. This was going to be a Christmas that they would never forget. And for once it would be for the right reasons.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

On the morning of Christmas Eve the relative peace and quiet (well as peaceful and quiet as a house holding nine excited schoolgirls could get) of Twelve Grimmuald Place was shattered by an unearthly and unholy noise.

 _"Stick it up Mister ... Hear what I say now sir ..."_

A loud caribbean voice pounded from the record player's speaker and brought the two older witches to an abrupt halt on their journey to the bottom of the stairs. Andromeda Tonks nee Black looked at her companion in confusion and the two of them crept slowly down the hallway towards the kitchen grinning with anticipation. The sight that greeted them would have had them on their knees in tears if they hadn't had each other to hold on to for support.

Backs turned to the women standing in the doorway, Sirius, Cassie and Kreacher were lined up in front of the counter, bobbing along to the music and preparing breakfast for the horde of visitors that had descended on the ancient Black residence for the holidays. Bacon was being sliced from the joint with a flourish by Sirius who would hand each slab to Cassie where it was brushed with butter and herbs before being handed off to Kreacher for him to drop into the enormous cast iron frying pan.

 _"Put your hands in the air sir, Wo-oo-oo, ye-eah."_

Three sets of arms shot into the air as per the insistent Mister Toots Hibbert's request waving a variety of knives, brushes and spatulas, and they were off into the song proper. Swaying, tapping, clapping and foot stomping in all of the appropriate places, they made a thoroughly entertaining spectacle for their un-noticed audience who were just barely managing to hold the sniggers at bay. Until a certain point in the song that is.

 _"Give it to me ... one time ... uh!"_

In unison the three figures turned slightly to the left and then pumped their hips forward and their fists back in perfect time to the music. Andromeda and Amelia were now jamming their own fists in their mouths to stop the hysterics which would certainly have burst forth otherwise.

 _"Give to me ... two time ... uh, uh!"_

Once again the fist pumping and hip thrusting occcured, only ... two times. Much frantic shushing was now going on as more and more people woken from their peaceful slumbers by the loud music had joined the two witches in the doorway and stared in disbelief at their hosts. The proud Noble and Most Ancient House of Black were being none of those things at the moment and it was _hysterical_.

 _"Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, no, no, no, no,_

 _Fiftyfour - fortysix that's my number,_

 _right now someone else have that number."_

Unable to contain themselves any longer there was an enormous blast of laughter from the assembled people at the entrance to the kitchen and the trio of cooking dancers fell over themselves and each other to land in an untidy heap on the floor. This, of course, only intensified the howls and hoots and snorts from the crowd many of whom were themselves now rolling around on the cold kitchen floor clutching their stomachs. Sirius was among the first to recover and bounced to his feet to face the still giggling group with an un-embarrassed grin.

"Thank-you, thank-you. We're here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitresses."

While this statement went straight over the heads of most of them Cerys and her brother Matthew each gave a small smile as Juliette and her dad curled up giggling once again. There was confusion from the pure bloods in the crowd but they just rightly assumed that it was a muggle thing. Not that any of them cared about that. The older ones were well used to Sirius' obsession with muggle music and other recreational activities and the younger ones had lived with Cassie for far too long to be affected by any pure blood political bullshit.

A head shaking Susan Bones helped to disentangle her girlfriend, pulled her to her feet, dusted her down without lingering on her T shirt covered chest for _too_ long and placed a smirking kiss on Cassie's pouting lips. Ignoring the chorus of 'awwww's from the onlookers she sat, taking the ridiculously cute, black haired girl with her and tucking her securely on to her lap. She smoothed her hand through the still tangled raven locks to calm and sooth her girlfriend and was soon rewarded with the much loved nuzzling and purring that she was hoping for.

"Don't listen to them, love, I think it's sweet that you share your musical tastes with your dad ."

 **Really? That's supposed to make me feel better is it?**

"Hmmm. Okay then. What if I kiss it better instead? Now where does it hurt most?"

 **Here.**

Everyone chuckled as Cassie lightly tapped her index finger against her lush, pouty lips and then busied themselves with their breakfasts so that they didn't have to watch the two girls making out at the table. Once they were all satisfied with both food and kisses the girls raced upstairs to prepare themselves for the real business of the day. A trip to the beauty parlour and then ... dress shopping! It was the day of the Yule Ball and, whether they were attending or not, they all wanted to look their best for Cassie. Especially an extremely tight lipped and secretive Susan Bones.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The crowd in the castle entrance hallway started to thin out as the appointed hour for the Tri-Wizard Yule Ball rapidly approached and they were chivvied into the great hall. A few of the more intrepid students were braving the deputy headmistress' wrath by loitering near the doors in the hope of catching sight of the champions and their dates before everyone else did. Once she arrived, however, they were dispersed with a solitary glare from the habitually stern woman. Once most of the would be spectators were gone she signalled Filch to open a side door and called out.

"Champions and their partners to me please."

Minerva McGonagall strode through the entrance scattering the remaining students and chasing them into the great hall before beckoning the six young people that were there at the moment and tapping her foot in annoyance at the tardiness of the remaining two. The Psycho Freaks were late. Just as she was about to start without them a gasp and muttered 'mon dieu' escaped the French champion's lips and the Scottish professor turned around. What she saw made her gape like a lovestruck schoolgirl. A pair of witches creating a perect monochrome vision of beauty had just entered their eyeline in the entrance hall as Cassandra Evans-Black and Susan Bones swept regally through the main doors. There was a stunned silence that was only disturbed by the tip tap sound from pointed heels echoing in the large open space.

Susan Bones was sheathed in a full length, strapless, white lace dress with elbow length white gloves. Her hair was teased into a loose French braid and was dotted with tiny pink and white flowers. She looked, for all the world as if she had stepped out of the pages of a muggle bridal magazine, even down to light pink blush that graced her cheeks. At professor McGonagall's whispered 'bloody hell' her blush deepened to match the huge ruby that was encased in the necklace which her girlfriend had given to her as the first part of her Christmas present before they had left tonight. Although Susan certainly felt special in her gorgeous new dress she was pleased that she was getting all of the embarrassment out of the way now before she was in front of all those people waiting in the hall. It would hopefully keep her from doing anything too clumsy or stupid later. And that was how she felt compared to her date.

The fourth Tri-Wizard champion was exuding all of the raw power, grace, feminine beauty and insane sex appeal that seemed to come so naturally to her. Fleur Delacour was sure that her tongue was currently four feet long and dragging on the flag stones at the sight of her. There weren't many young women in the world who could make a veela feel plain and dowdy in comparison but Cassandra Evans-Black was definitely one of them. Ice blue eyes travelled from the black strappy stilettos up the long, smooth, pale leg, taking in the calf length, black, silk dress with it's daring split up one side, over it's plunging neckline showing off those pert and perfect breasts up to her face. The delectable, ruby lips were cocked in a semi smirk and it took an enormous amount of willpower for the French witch to drag her eyes from them and up to the girl's own sparking emerald orbs. And then the girl turned around 'talk' to her date. Fleur was now staring in bug eyed disbelief at the back of Cassie's dress. Or rather the place where the back of her dress should have been, only to be presented with the sight of a large tattoo of a death angel on silky skin and completely unimpaired by any form of underwear. The fact that her beautiful raven locks were swept up into an elegant updo revealing her pale, slender neck with it's 'Tenebrae Angelus' legend didn't exactly hurt either. She jumped when brought out of her lust induced haze by a sharp tingling sensation on her scalp.

"Oi. Eyes off my girlfriend. _Salope._ "

 **Ooo you learned French Suzie. I love it when a girl speaks French.**

"Do you now ... _mon ... petit ... chout_."

The clearly and succinctly enunciated words breathed into her ear by the taller girl gave Cassie such a delicious shiver down her bared spine that she struggled to not stumble against her girlfriend. It had suddenly become a great deal harder to breathe in here. The pleasing aroma of Susan's musky perfume filled her nostrils and she began snuggling into her neck, giving a little sigh. She was getting so wound up that she seriously considered saying screw the bloody ball and dragging the red head off up to the astronomy tower for some naughty fun time. Unfortunately the transfiguration mistress, sensing the imminent flight risk from her mischievous charge, stepped in by clearing her throat and tapping her foot good humuoredly, if a touch impatiently.

"If you're quite finished necking ladies, shall we get on with it?"

Minerva caught the smirk on Cassie's face and tried very hard not to mirror it on her own as she moved to the doors of the great hall. Turning back she instructed the couples to line up, Cedric and his date first followed by Viktor, Fleur and then Cassie and Susan bringing up the rear. The deputy headmistress stood for a moment with her head cocked as if listening out for something and seemingly hearing what she was waiting for, threw the doors wide open and announced the Tri-Wizard champions.

"The Hogwarts champion Mister Cedric Diggory and his partner Miss Katie Bell."

Rabid applause from the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor faithful and a smile from McGonagall for one of her house quidditch team chasers.

"The Durmstrang champion Mister Viktor Krum and his partner Miss Mercedes Depuis."

There was a decidedly muted response. The Bulgarian seeker's popularity had taken a bit of a nosedive with at least half of the gathering after the first task and all of his less than subtle comments about the place of witches in society.

"The Beaubaxtons champion Miss Fleur Delacour and her partner Mister Roger Davies."

A generous reaction for the good looking bonde duo. They were pretty popular among the students it appeared.

"And finally our surprise fourth champion Miss Cassandra Evans-Black and her partner Miss Susan Bones."

It was like everyone in the hall had been holding their breath. Said breath was expelled in a great rush as Cassie and Susan strolled, smiling into the room with heads held high to a Weasley twin firework display of a red dragon on a green and white field. A cacophany of shouts and whistles and cat calls greeted the pair as well as a barrage of camera flashes, both press related and private as apparently many of the students had decided to record tonight for posterity. As she passed by though, people started to gasp at her daring backless dress and the flashes were surrupticiosly renewed. And re-doubled.

"Fuck me."

Hermione would have reprimanded her date for her language but was a bit distracted at the moment by the sight of her first friend and crush gliding across the dance floor to the champion's table with her girlfriend on her arm. The ex Gryffindor bookworm reluctantly admitted that they did make a terribly beautiful couple. She felt a squeeze on her hand and turned to the girl standing next to her, smiling gently in admiration of her sister. This simple act of familial solidarity just made her all the more alluring to Hermione. To be honest she was pretty alluring anyway. Charlotte Potter just _did_ something to her. She had never really considered herself to be a sexual person, sure she had had crushes (like Cassie) but they never really went anywhere, but with the Irish witch she was not only sexual but also rather sexually adventurous and ... _aggressive_. A reaction which both surprised and excited her. Perhaps she did belong in the Psycho Freak house after all she thought as she gave an automatic response which made Charli blush bright scarlet.

"Later dear." Hermione gave a totally deadpan delivery. "Unless you want to find another broom closet of course."

By this time Cassie and Susan had reached the top table and were being seated by an extremely obsequious and attentive headmaster, Albus Dumbledore himself, who was desperately trying to bite back a comment about the fourth champions choice of attire. Merlin, the girl looked she should be in a house of ill repute. A high class one certainly, but a brothel nonetheless. Cassie saw the look on his face and gave herself an internal little high five. Other that the fact that it was really pretty, that kind of reaction from the old man had been almost precisely what she had been hoping for when she had chosen this dress. Well, that and the sudden, overwhelming desire that she had to get her girlfriend dripping like a George Foreman grill at the mere sight of her. Suzie was in for a very good night if they managed to survive this Ball without being either arrested for public indecency or poisoned by the headmaster. Speaking of which. Not even making any attempt to hide what she was doing Cassie began casting a handy spell, designed to give a list of the ingredients present in any substance, that Suzie's Aunt Amelia had provided her specifically for an occasion such as this.

One look at the sour expression on the headmaster's face told her that he knew very well what spell she had just cast and was red faced and furious at the implied insult. It wasn't implied and it didn't bother her in the least. Cassie's suspicious nature, born of many years of hardship and neglect, would not allow her to trust the manipuative old tosser's sudden change of heart for one second and she would much rather that she and Susan be hated and safe than popular and dead. Having declared the nibbles and drinks 'safe' she then proceeded to feed her embarrassed girlfriend a strawberry before looping their arms to draw her in for a lover's toast with the surprisingly pleasant sparkling cider. There were many sighs around the hall as the vast majority of the girls attending the event saw this simple action and wondered why their own dates couldn't bring themselves to be that sweet and romantic for them.

Once the light dinner was done it was time for speeches and the students suffered through the rants and ramblings from the three school heads, Percy Weasley who was attending in place of Mister Crouch and most embarrassingly of all, Ludo Bagman. The eternally cheerful buffoon didn't seem to mind the chorus of groans and sighs that greeted his introduction, ploughing ahead with boring anecdotes and crap jokes that were only vaguely related (if at all) to the current tournament cirumstances. After an interminably dull twenty minutes and much to everyone's relief the quidditch bore finally shut the hell up and it was time for the dancing to start.

There was much applause and many 'oohs' and 'aahs' as the champions and their partners took the floor to start off the Ball proper with the first waltz. In their many, _many_ practice sessions they had alternated leading and folowing, although Cassie's nerves had led her to ask if Susan would take the lead for the first dance. She gazed lovingly into those warm, brown eyes and let herself be sucked into their depths and the world around them faded away until it felt as if it were just the two of them, the enchanted ceiling and the soft music. There was no noise, no chattering onlookers, just them in each others arms whirling around the dancefloor in light, assured steps. It was like being inside of a fabulous dream and surprised both girls by ending far too quickly for them. They stood for a moment resting their foreheads against each other smiling shyly, still feeling the intimacy of the waltz even though it had ended, until the whoops and cheers and flash bulbs brought them out of their all to brief reverie.

The rest of the night flew by in a whirlwind of dancing, drinking, chatting and more dancing and although many tried to seperate Cassie and Susan to claim a dance, none succeeded as the two young witches only had eyes for each other. Even her sister had been turned away from the fourth champion in favour of her red haired partner in movement. So wrapped up were they that absolutely no distractions got through at all, they even missed Ronald Weasley saying something unutterably stupid and getting a back hander from one of the Patil twins. Much to their later consternation and regret.

Too soon the Ball was over and tired legs carried weary youngsters to their dormitories or to the fireplaces that had been opened up especially for the night. Among those flooing home were Cassie and Susan who were welcomed back to Grimmuald Place by Sirius and Amelia. Not a word was spoken or a comment made (even by Sirius) when both of the girls entered Cassie's suite of rooms. Neither of them was ready for this magical night to be over just yet it seemed.

 _"I could have danced all night,_

 _I could have danced all night,_

 _and still have asked for more."_

Susan Bones span, giggling around the room and singing at the top of her voice before tripping on the rug and falling head first into a soft, fragrant and beautifully bouncy valley of pale flesh. The half collapsed, very giddy and quite pissed young woman pressed her cheek into her girlfriend's silk covered chest and looked up at her with a big cheeky grin. Mmmmm big soft boobies. That reminded her of something she was supposed to do tonight. Now what could it be? Oh yes, now she remembered.

"Am I allowed to open my Christmas present yet?"

The only answer Susan received was when Cassie tugged her up to her feet and into a long, slow, sweet kiss, all the while guiding the red head's hands into the opening at the front of her dress and beneath the spaghetti straps that held the fabric together. A single twitch of her deft fingers was all it took for her to have her gorgeous, sexy girlfriend naked in her arms. She felt the slightest of tugs as the black haired kissing machine wandlessly unzipped her own gown and in very short order indeed she was almost as undressed as Cassie (the stockings and garter could wait apparently). There was a soft pop as the emerald eyed temptress pulled her lips away from her, undid her hair, tossing the silver pin aside carelessly and, once her legs hit the edge, crawled back up the bed to arrange herself provocatively on the pillows. Cassie lifted a single, delicate finger and crooked it twice in an unbelievably sultry and obvious invitation. One which Susan Bones was only too glad to accept.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World Lemons fic will be going up later this week and what happens next will be making up the first chapter. I'm really unsure of my skills in this area so if I make a compete cock of it please tell me and I'll stop.**

 **Toots and the Maytals 54-46 and is one of my all time favourite songs. Have I been caught in a similar situation to Sirius, Cassie and Kreacher? Well of course I have, and yes it was** _ **exactly**_ **as incredibly embarrassing as it sounds.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	31. Chapter 31

**One more bit of holiday fluffy stuff before we go back into the action. It's the morning after for our loved up first timers. Will they get to have a nice lie in full of snuggles and rainbows? Well since this is me writing then probably not, no.**

 **Sean W; Well it was still a very sweet review so thanks anyway.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **31\. All I want for Christmas is you.**

The door to the Head of House's suite in Twelve Grimmuald Place creaked open with a painful and noisy shrieking sound and three heads appeared around the door frame one above the other, looking for all the world like a scene from a Scooby Doo cartoon. Juliette, Cerys and Mathilde were peering dubiously at the mass of intermingled black and red hair that was visible above the rather rumpled bright pink comforter on the enormous four poster bed. They looked at one another doubtfully.

"Do you _really_ think we ought to be doing this?" Mathilde was nervous about what they were going to do.

"It'll be fine, Mister Sirius said we should."

"Yes but he's not what I'd call _reliable_." Cerys' broad Welsh accent made her statement sound much worse than it was meant to be.

"What are we all doing. Ooooh are we having a party? I love parties."

The younger girls were desperately trying shush and calm down the exciteable and overly loud dirty blonde by the name of Luna Lovegood who had appeared behind them seemingly intent on causing as much mayhem as possible. Which, on hearing of their Sirius given mission to wake the heiresses of Black and Bones, let out a massive whoop of pleasure and pelted into the bedroom with a maniacal gleam in her eyes.

"Oh crap."

The three younger girls dived after their nutty, older friend, hoping to bring her down before she managed to reach the bed and ... do whatever the hell it was that she was going to do. They almost caught her too. Almost. But not quite. Juliette thought that she had her for one brief, glorious moment as her outstretched hand closed over a fast moving ankle only to come away empty other than a single brightly coloured, stripey sock with L.L emroidered on it. As her two fellow chasers collapsed on top of her there was a series of excited screams and angry shouts from the bed as well as a dull thump from above them.

"For fucks sake Lulu what is _wrong_ with you, I nearly hexed your bloody tits off."

"Wheeee."

The still grinning Luna waved at the three heads that appeared over the end of the bed from her position floating up on the bedroom ceiling where Cassie had quite forcefully banished her to after she had jumped on her and Susan, waking them up. Since the lady of the house and her girlfriend were obviously in a bit of a _mood_ following their rude awakening it was an understandably nervous trio of witches that climbed quietly up to sit in the end of their bed. They studied their hands, the bed sheet, each other's pyjamas, looking anywhere but at the other end of the bed where Cassie and Susan were sharing a very embarrassingly intimate good morning kiss. Finally coming up for air they turned to question the presence of their younger house mates.

"Can we help you ladies?"

"Um, Cassies dad said everyone's getting impatient to start opening presents so we should come and get the two of you up."

"It'll only be him that's getting impatient, he can bloody well wait until we're good and ready."

 **Fair's fair now love you opened your present last night.**

Cassie received some shrewd looks from the girls and a less than gentle slap on the arm from a thoroughly red faced Susan at her interjection.

"The shaggers are finally up then?"

This cheerful statement by newly arrived Ginny Weasley resulted in a series of barely concealed snorts and giggles from the uninvited guests in the bedroom.

"Excuse me Ginevra but how exactly did you come to that highly slanderous conclusion?"

"It's only slanderous if it's not true." Ginny poked her tongue out at Susan. "And after all that bloody racket you two made last night I don't think that even you can deny it."

"I didn't hear anything." Susan remarked with a perfectly straight face.

"Oh you cannot be fucking serious. They must have heard you two going at it back in fucking Hogwarts."

Cassie was watching highly amused as Ginge and Suzie went through their little routine of accusations (which were all true) and denials, amazed that her girlfriend could keep a straight face with all the whoppers she was spouting. The audience seemed to be eating it up. Although they were seemingly starting to doubt themselves now as the red head continued with her absolute assertions that nothing untoward had happened and that they all must have been having some kind of shared delusion. Cassie, deciding that she needed a pee, then proceeded to undo all of her girlfriend's hard work by slipping out of bed and sauntering off towards the bathroom. The fact that she was stark naked and sporting four wildly impressive hickeys, one of which was on her left bum cheek did not go un-noticed by any of the witches in the room. As one they all turned to the now furiously blushing Susan who decided that denial was still a viable option. She tipped her chin in the air, looked down her nose at the grinning group of girls and gave her best impersonation of her formidable aunt.

"Yes, what?"

"You are _sooo_ busted."

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

In a large carriage in the grounds of a certain magical school in Scotland, Fleur Delacour woke on Christmas morning to the gentle snoring of her sister beside her. She yawned widely and slipped carefully from under the covers trying not to disturb the small blonde still curled up asleep. The bleary eyed veela made it to the bathroom and was half way through her morning ablutions before she noticed the flash of an extremely unfamiliar colour in the mirror. In a trance like state she dragged herself to the sink and very slowly raised her eyes to look into the relflective surface. The scream that issued from her horrified mouth woke everyone within a half mile radius. Her hair, her beautiful, silvery, platinum blonde curls were now dull and lisltess and, more importantly, a very dirty and dark shade of _green._

By the time she had made it to the headmistress' rooms her horror had turned to murderous anger and her shrill voice was now firing out expletives in rapid and rather salty French. After Madame Maxime had calmed the alternately sobbing and screaming young woman enough to find out what had happened, although one look at her strangely coloured locks was all that took really, they began attempting to sort it out. As the minutes ticked by with all of the headmistress' cancellation and reversal spells failing spectacularly and with her hysterical champion starting to hyperventilate Maxime decided that she would have to swallow her pride and ask for help.

Hair colouring curses were pretty much all based in transfiguration which was one of her weakest subjects, however, they were in the lucky position of being at Hogwarts and thus in the presence of two of the most celebrated masters of that particular branch of magic in all Europe. As much as it would pain her to do so Maxime was going to have to ask Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore for their assistance. She hated being in the debt of _that_ man but the needs of her school's champion outweighed any discomfort that interacting with the Hogwarts headmaster might cause her. Girding her not inconsiderable loins Olympe Maxime strode towards the castle shepherding the two Delacour sisters in front of her and ten minutes later they were all seated in the headmaster's office nursing their steaming cups of tea or coffee.

Minerva was squinting at the young French witch with the sick coloured hair and thinking that the magic she felt emanating from this impressive if sneaky piece of transfiguration was awfully familiar. But then since she had taught nearly the last four generations of witches and wizards who resided in Britain then there wasn't much in the way of magical signatures that didn't feel familiar to her. Concentrating on the wispy tendrils of the remaining spell residue and feeling it's underlying darkness and power it suddenly all clicked into place and she was now struggling to keep the proud smirk from her stern face. Having most recently taught Sirius and all three of the Black sisters she knew Black family magic when she felt it, even though this did seem to be much older magic than she was used to seeing from those four.

No this bore the stamp of a certain malicious old woman. Although what Walburgia Black had against the French girl she couldn't fathom unless it was an attempt to disturb the emotional state of the Beaubaxtons champion ahead of the second task. In which case it was a job well done as Miss Delacour appeared to be utterly in pieces over the damage to her once beautiful hair. Minerva was drifting through her memories to see if she could come up with any other reasons for the targeting of the veela. An image of a flirting blonde and a stony faced red head made it's way to the front of her mind and suggested a new candidate for the deed. Cassandra Evans-Black's girlfriend and Walburgia Black's new and surprising protege. Susan Bones. Amelia was going to have a fit over this if she ever found out about it.

Having satisfied her curiosity on the matter, Minerva turned her attention to the problem at hand, namely putting the distraught young woman back to some semblance of follicle normality. First, however, in order to cement her status as a much relied upon ally and confidante for the most dangerous and bad tempered couple currently at Hogarts, there was something that she needed to do.

"Mademoiselle Deacour, I wonder if you would allow me to photograph the effects of the curse as well as our attempts to dispell it for an article I'm writing."

"I woudn't be recognised would I? People _must_ not see me in such a state of disarray."

"Of course not mademoiselle, I will be blurring out your face so that, other than those in this office, people would have no idea that it's you."

Minerva McGonagall gave off her most sympathic smile as she lied through her teeth to the young woman and at her nod of acceptance summoned a house elf to fetch the wizarding camera from her quarters. Of course she had no intention of either writing any article for Transfiguration Today or blanking out Fleur's face. No these pictures were going to be framed, wrapped and then sent to Twelve Grimmuald Place as an extra little Christmas gift for Miss Bones. It might even take her past Aurora as the red headed Psycho Freak's favourite member of the faculty.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Present opening with the Blacks had resulted in probably the most enjoyable Christmas morning that the Granger family could remember in many years. They had all slept in extremely comfortable if perhaps slighty faded luxury, there was no cleaning or cooking to do, all that was expected of them was to fill their stomachs and simply have fun. It was also nice to spend some quality time with their daughter, who they had been feeling increasingly disconnected from, and to finally meet her friends. The doctors Granger had noticed a distinctly more upbeat tone in Hermione's letters home recently describing more than just her lessons and homework assignments and mentioning actual, real friends. The thoughtful and unexpected gifts from their very generous hosts had been lovely as well.

Of course seeing Hermione so happy was the best present they could have wished for. Watching the three younger girls follow her around with such adoration in their bright eyes was absolutely wonderful as was the fact that she obviously doted on them as well. In fact she was interracting with all of these sweet, lovely young women with a freedom and familiarity that they had never seen in Hermione before. And then there was the Irish girl, Charli.

It had taken all of about two minutes of watching the two witches fluttering around each other for them to figure out that the two girls were dating. Even at first when they were trying to be cirumspect they were just so ... _obvious_ about it. Then when they had gone to the Yule Ball at Hogwarts last night it became clear that they were, in fact, a little more than just dating as the love in their eyes could simply not be hidden. The two of them were indescribably adorable together and as with parents everwhere they had insisted on taking many, many pictures to commemorate the big event. Dan and Emma Granger averted their eyes as their daughter rewarded her black haired girlfriend with a very heated kiss for the enchanted journal and everlasting quill that was her present. As much as they were happy for Hermione and tentatively approved of her partner there were some things that as a parent you just didn't want to see.

Also trying not to watch the bushy haired young woman and her silky voiced girlfriend exchanging saliva were Julitte's dad and Cerys' brother. Neither Harold Jones nor Matthew Williams could quite believe that they were here, sitting in the London home of the infamous 'toujours pur' Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, let alone that they had been received and looked after so well. It was, it seemed, all down to the beautiful, raven haired young woman that was currently engaged in a game of giant jenga with a giggling Cerys, Mathilde and Juliette and a wide eyed house elf. The two men were stunned and more than a touch impressed. Harold's daughter and Matthew's sister were not exactly known for smiling over much and giggling was pretty much unheard of.

The handing out of gifts was taking far longer than anybody had anticipated due to the amount of people present, so it was almost time for their Christmas dinner when a smallish red wrapped package was handed to Susan Bones. She made very sure that her aunt was nowhere near when she opened the parcel and saw a framed picture of an obviously distraught and angry young woman with straggly, puke coloured hair and cackled under her breath as she removed the accompanying note and read.

 _ **Miss Bones,**_

 _ **while in no way implying that you were involved in a certain incident that occured at Hogwarts this morning I thought that you might appreciate this record of the occurence. This is purely because I know that you are most especially interested in the art of transfiguration and it's less talked about uses in the application of curses. I suspect that you will also be interested to know that this particular spell proved quite stubborn, taking the headmaster most of the day to remove it. Consider your homework assignment complete and graded with an 'O' for outstanding.**_

 _ **Merry Christmas**_

 _ **Minerva McGonagall**_

The grin that spread across Susan's face when she opened the red and gold wrapped parcel was very wide and more than a touch ... _evil_. Cassie wondered what her girlfriend had done to elicit that reaction to the small package. She had discovered that Suzie could be more than a little devious and under-handed when she felt that either she or her family, which now included the Blacks apparently, were threatened or slighted. This had only got worse since she had started her strange and surprising friendship with grandma Walburgia. Which wasn't weird or creepy at all. And she was a something of an expert on weird and creepy so she should know. Looking around her friends and extended family though she supposed that they were all a bit like that. Even the sweet little Mathilde and the ever exhuberant Luna could have their moments. Their house wasn't called the Psycho Freaks for nothing after all.

Cassie shrugged off her thougts and and tried to manoeuvre her pre-occupied girfriend under the mistletoe. Unfortunately the red head seemed to know precisely what she was doing and wasn't having any of it so she resorted to practicing her wandless casting to summon it into position over Suzie's head and waited for her to notice. When she finally did see it they quicky became so enthusiastic in their observation of the Yuletide tradition that Winky had to be fetched to separate them so that they didn't miss their dinner.

Much later Sirius and Amelia cuddled up on the sofa together and celebrated a successful first holiday together with a few shots of Ogden's Finest. After having to cope with a house full of excited teenaged witches running around like lunatics and trying to keep the peace between Narcissa Malfoy and ... well basically everyone else, they deserved this moment of quiet time. The fact that the 'chilly, boring blonde bitch' as his daughter rather uncharitably (but accurately) called her had turned up at all was a bit of a shock in itself. More of a shock had been that her awful son Draco, having been dragged along spent the entire time being extremely quiet and extremely polite to everyone. It was honestly pretty un-nerving. Still, the Tonks and the Malfoys had eventually left and things had clamed down some afterwards, even more so when they had herded the tired youngsters off up to their beds. At which point they had noticed Cassie and Susan heading to the Head of House's suite together which had prompted their current conversation.

"Siri, do you think we ought to talk to Susan and Cassie about sex?"

"I don't think so Amy." He replied with astonishing nonchalance. "If the noise they were making up there last night was anything to go by then I don't think there's much we have to teach them anyway. Also we have a different frame of reference and, you know, wrong equipment."

She narrowed her eyes at the grinning fool that she had rather stupidly fallen in love with over the last year or so.

"What did you do?"

"Why do you instantly assume that _I_ did something."

"Because I've met you." The reply was sharp, instantaneous and immediately had him chuckling.

"Fair point." He shrugged and agreed "Okay so someone, who is absolutely not me, may have given my daughter a book on orally pleasing witches with that wicked little forked tongue of hers for her birthday last summer."

"There is something very, very wrong with you."

"That's what Cassie said."

I'm in love with a moron, she thought as she looked at the confused man. He really was actually confused about what was so wrong with giving a fourteen year girl a sex book as a gift. Merlin help her if they ever had a child of their own. She smiled at that idea, despite herself, as for the first time in her life she could actually picture it as a possibility.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Xenophilius had volunteered his house for the inaugural Psycho Freak new years party and the garden of 'The Rook' had been decorated in true Lovegood style. It was bright and colourful, full of character and completely mad. Cassie loved it with all of her heart and gave the man a crushing hug in thanks which had the odd man almost in tears before they started.

For the first time in many years there was a party at the Lovegoods place that was as well attended as it was fun. All of the Freaks plus their families (except the Rothschildes for some reason) were there as well as the Diggorys from down the road who had been curious what all the noise was and were immediately invited to stay. Even the Weasleys were in attendance and seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially the twins who were taking turns to dance with the first years and pranking when they thought that they could get away with it.

Soon enough it was time for the big countdown and everyone joined in.

"Three ... Two ... One. Happy new year!"

Sirius and Amelia, Remus and Nymphadora, the elder Grangers, Charli and Hermione Cedric and Katie and of course Cassie and Susan. Of all the couples taking advantage of the New Year's midnight kissing tradition there was one in particular that was causing a stir. This was because the 'couple' in question were neither kissing nor strictly speaking a couple. And it was annoying the ever loving shit out of the Black heiress.

Ginny and Luna were just sat there by a tree, holding hands and resting tiredly against each other. And not kissing. Cassie had gone to a great deal of trouble to make sure that the two girls were next to one another and out of sight of their respective families on the stroke of midnight and they still steadfastly refused to snog. No matter how damned cute and perfect they were together. She decided that she was going to a very long talk with those two when they got back to school. She would have done it there and then except that she had to go and break up an acrimonious fight between Hermione and Ronald the moron before her sister beat him to death with a lawn chair.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The journey back from London to Hogwarts after the Yule break was conducted in considerably more comfort than their cramped trip in the opposite direction two weeks previously. This was mainly due to Hermione Granger taking it upon herself to raid the Black library for advanced transfiguration texts and brow beating the adult wizards and witches at Grimmuald Place into showing her some useful, if more temporary than she would have liked, space expansion charms. They lounged about on large, soft sofas and comfy armchairs playing games, chatting, reading and snogging with acres of space to spare. Towards the end of their fun ride a noisy commotion in the corridor drew their attention and questioning glances gave way to understanding as the smiling face of Cedric Diggory came into view.

"Would you mind if we popped in for a quick visit?"

He entered the compartment with Katie Bell hanging on to his hand and trailing behind him and then stopped suddenly, looking around rather confusedly. He was almost positive that the compartment that they had just come from wasn't anywhere near as big as this one, nor did it have such incredibly plush and luxurious furniture. The nine witches, their pets and their veritable mountain of luggage looked almost lost in the comfortable and spacious room. Which shouldn't have been the case. Katie studied her new boyfriend who was still gazing about with a furrowed brow and a rather dim expression on his delectably chisel jawed face. He was a truly beautiful young man with a sweet disposition and a wonderfully chivalrous nature, it was just a shame that he was so dumb. Still she wasn't dating him for his brains and truth be told in certain areas Cedric was proving to be an absolute bloody savant. Then he spoiled her internal mental defence of his intelligence by opening his mouth again.

"Have you ladies got some kind of deal with the school for a bigger carriage?"

"No we just have a Hermione." Charli sniggered and pointed at the red faced girl who was now attempting to hide in her lap and muttering about it being an extremely simple transfiguration really.

"Well how ever you did it, it's smashing." He paused clearly trying to remember something important. "Oh do you all know my girlfriend Katie by the way?"

They had already met her both at the Yule Ball and their New Years party but Cassie politely (?) gave the Gryffindor chaser a long inspection up and down. Turning to Cedric she nodded in clear appreciation, grinned, winked and gave him an impressed thumbs up. Susan shook her head, rolling her eyes and slapped her girlfriend sharply on the arm.

"Keep it in your pants sweetie. Honestly you're as bad as that French trollop Delacour." At Cassie's pointedly dropped jaw she amended. "Well alright you're not _that_ bad I suppose."

Katie was sniggering behind her hand at the interplay between the two witches and also feeling immensely pleased that the totally gorgeous Cassandra Evans-Black had thought she was pretty. Her boyfriend dropped into a sofa next to a quietly reading Mathilde Rothschilde who sqeaked spectacularly and tossed her book in the air at the unexpected interruption. Cedric smiled and recovered her text for her before turning to Cassie and getting to the point of his visit.

"So Cassandra have you worked out your egg clue for the third task yet?"

 **Noisy bastard thing.**

She made a sour face. It was a bit of a sore point with Cassie that she hadn't managed to get any kind of sound out of her hard won, shiny treasure that didn't make her ears bleed and she wasn't best pleased at being reminded of her failure. It wasn't the goofy Hufflepuff pretty boy's fault though so she managed to restrain herself from practicing her increasingly nasty repertoire of wandless curses on his groin.

"I think that means no dear." Katie correctly interpreted the look that passed over the raven haired witch's face and informed her boyfriend with the added cautionary statement. "Perhaps you should find a safer topic of conversation, love."

"Oh. Right ho then. It's just that I was going to return the favour after you told me about the dragons and all."

He stopped talking and started flicking his cheek making a weird popping noise with his finger. Susan Bones allowed this to continue for a surprisingly long time before she finally snapped and yelled at him.

"Well come on then. Spit it out blondie."

The young man turned to his fellow Tri-Wizard champion and gave her a wink while she wondered what kind of stupidity he was going to come up with this time. Oh well she supposed she should humour him if it gave her a clue about how to open the egg without needing earplugs.

"Have you taken a bath with it yet?"

Yep it was another world beater.

 **Who the hell would take a bath with a metal egg. Bugger me backwards he must have an unbelievably enormous cock for Katie to put with having to talk to this bloody moron all day long.**

"No." Susan translated her girlfriend's highly insulting little rant so as not to cause offense to her former house mate and all around nice guy trying to help her out.

"When you have come and find me. I have a bad feeling about this particular task."

He glanced at Katie and a small frown crossed his handsome face. He had a _really_ bad feeling about the third task because he knew what the thing he would miss the most was. It was her. His sudden change in mood did not go un-noticed by the Freaks and the rest of the journey was spent in quiet contemplation of what could have the Hufflepuff seeker so spooked. Cedric might not be the most intelligent young man in the world but he wasn't _that_ stupid and he was clearly worried about something involving the tournament and his girlfriend. Cassie felt a pit growing in the bottom of her stomach as she realised that if he was worried about Katie then she should probably be worrying about Suzie in the same way.

Still that was still a fair way off yet and although it was always good to be prepared she needed to be focusing on the wandless duels event coming up in less than two weeks time. Without using her wand Cassie summoned a cushion towards her and then banished it while it was still airborne to strike her sister in the face. Charli grabbed her own cushion and hurled it with all her might back at her. She caught it with her magic and re-directed it to hit Ginny this time starting an all out war in the compartment which seemed to consist of mostly everyone else trying to give her a face full of pillow. Cassie had to try very hard to deflect them all and was getting quite the workout. Training now, brooding later.

Owing to this impromptu game, by the time they had reached the school the Psycho Freaks were in an enthusiastically jolly mood, though they were also pretty tired and it wasn't long before they were all climbing the tower and heading for bed. Not Cassie however, she collected her hard won golden, oval prize and slipped into the large bathroom attached to their dorm. She filled the bath and stripped down allowing a smile to cross her face as she dive bombed into the water clutching the shiny egg to her chest. Upon surfacing the black haired girl held the egg underneath the water and fumbling with the unfamiliar latching mechanism opened it by feel alone. She giggled at the bubbles that rose and popped on the surface of her bath water. It looked like the fake dragon egg had just farted. Cassie stopped laughing as she realised something. That meant that it was communicating. Taking a deep breath she slid under the water.

When she climbed into bed next to her girlfriend twenty minutes later Cassie lay quietly, lost in her own thoughts for some considerable time. Now she knew what had Cedric so worried. 'That which you will miss the most shall be hidden'. If they harmed so much as a single hair on Susan Bones' head Cassie was going to find the most public and painfull way destroy the organisers of this damned silly contest. And anyone else who was involved in any way whatsoever. Sleep only came that night after her beautiful girlfriend had curled herself around Cassie and spooned her into serenity.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World Lemons fic is now up and currently has a couple of chapters, one Cassie x Susan (up now) and one Charli x Hermione (going up Wednesday). As the name would suggest it is M rated so if you want to keep whatever innocence you have left, just stick with the main story and ignore that one. If you do go ahead and read it, however, feedback would be appreciated and is desperately needed as I have no idea how good or otherwise it is.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	32. Chapter 32

**Right then. The meat of this chapter is where this entire story sprang from. The round robin format wandless duel task featuring a mute femHarry with a bad attitude and a penchant for extreme physical violence.**

 **Now if that idea sounds a bit familiar to you then I'm not surprised as at the time I had just finished reading the incredibly dark but seriously awesome 'Princess of the Blacks' by Silent Watches. The whole duel task idea was basically lifted straight from that story for which terrible faux pas I have already apologised to the great man himself.**

 **If you aren't already aware of it then I urge you to go and check it out as the Black Queen series of stories really is something very special indeed.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **32\. Shoot to thrill.**

Katie Bell managed to corner Cassie on her way to Potions the morning before the second task and rather bravely pulled her into an empty classroom. The heiress of the Blacks held off from her first reaction which was to respond with swift violence to this unexpected move on the part of the Gryffindor chaser until she had at least heard the girl out. She perked up at the thought that the lovely Miss Bell might be about to confess her undying love to her, although the grim look on the other young woman's face told her that this was probably not going to be the case. Still, a girl could dream.

"I need you to do something for me."

Cassie shook her head to clear her lingering and vivid daydream of a very naked Katie Bell giving her a lewd and enthusiastic lap dance and tried to focus on what her friend Cedric's girlfriend was actually saying to her. She smiled and nodded appearing to be only too happy to give whatever _assistance_ Katie required.

"I need you to not hold back in your duel with Cedric."

The green eyed girl lifted a carefully sculpted eyebrow and rolled her her fingers over each other to signal that she required more information and that Katie should continue.

"Ced's a good guy and I know that you like him and don't want to hurt him but he's also a decent duellist and you'll be showing him more respect if you bring your 'A' game. He's not weak and he'll be far more upset if you string him along and toy with him than if you put him on his arse in the first five seconds like we all know that you can."

The Gryffindor set her jaw and glared defiantly and determinedly at the dangerous black haired young witch in front of her. Truth be told she was crapping her pants being in an enclosed space on her own with the terrifying Cassandra Evans-Black but she would be brave to make sure that her boyfriend wasn't going to be totally humiliated tomorrow. She tried not to shiver as those cold, creepy green eyes bored into her, seemingly judging her veracity and her worth before she finally received a single short nod of agreement allowing Katie to flee the scene as fast as her shaking legs would carry her. As the door slammed shut Cassie let out a huge snort and shook her head in amusement. That was a lot of fun. As for Cedric? Well she would certainly consider going all out against him. If only to get in the good graces of a certain Gryffindor witch.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

For this round of the tournament the organisers had done away with the large single marquee and had given each champion their own tent complete with a bed, one trained mediwitch and one supporter/friend. That 'friend' in the fourth champion's tent was currently doing some last minute and highly unorthodox coaching.

"Alright then. Remember what we talked about."

Susan was sitting on the edge of the daybed fussing over her girlfriend and trying to straighten out the hooded red cloak which was hiding Cassie's new dragon hide combat outfit. It had been a gift from the goblins after she had given them the charred remains of the Hungarian horntail that she had killed and was constructed from the very few useable pieces of it's skin that were left and even some of those were still scorched. It did make for a very pretty pattern on the skintight clothing that emphasised every gorgeous curve and bump on her delectable body as well as being strategically cut to show off her magnificent tattoos. Susan felt herself getting wet just from looking at her and blushed deeply before catching her lover's attention for a final pep talk.

"No messing about now Cassandra and if you get yourself injured then I'm not putting out for a month."

 **No no no Suzie, anything but that. I'll be good I promise.**

"Of course _that_ would get a reaction out of you. Seriously though love, you need to be careful. For me. 'Kay?"

 **I will. I love you Cuddles.**

Susan chuckled into Cassie's sweet smelling hair as the smaller girl snuggled tightly into her arms.

"Come on you big dork it's time to get out there and meet your adoring public."

A snort of disbelief and derision was her only reply to this preposterous scenario.

Cassie reached the very edge of the tent flaps before seeming to make a last minute decision and dropping her scarlet cloak to pool on the floor at her booted feet showing Suzie her perfect bottom as she bent over to collect it up again. Re-attaching it before she could be caught and molested by the now lust crazed red head Cassie huffed out her laughter as she ran out of the tent. Susan growled deep in the back of her throat at the sight before collecting her sun hat, deck chair and cocktail and following her girlfriend out into the arena to watch the fun.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

 **Round One; Cassandra Evans-Black vs Fleur Delacour.**

As she walked out of the tent to the strains of 'Land of My Fathers' a highly surprised Cassie stopped so quickly that she nearly fell over her own feet. She still wasn't very used to this 'being popular' thing so the sight of a packed stadium rising to their feet at her entry threw her for somewhat of a loop. That there were Welsh flags, charmed dragons and even some muggle inflatable leeks scattered liberally among the crowd bore testament to the fact that virtually the whole of the magical population of Wales had emptied to come and support her today. It was a party atmosphere as her countrymen belted out their National anthem, finishing off with a huge roar of approval when she shrugged off her cloak and revealed the skintight dragon hide outfit. The dragons roared, the flags waved and the leeks bounced. Little Cerys Matthews held tight to her brother's hand and felt the tears through her smile at this great outpouring of national pride. The Welsh champion in the centre of the pitch pumped her fist in the air eliciting another enormous cheer and causing her to grin widely at her extremely enthusiastic fans.

Duel Meister Herman Kohl looked at the two very pretty young witches standing in front of him and gave what passed for a smile in his mind much to the shock and surprise of his old friend Filius Flitwick. He was here at the request of the Tri-Wizard Tournament organisers to oversee the wandless duels section of the contest and ensure fair play among the competitors. Apparently the youngest of the four was the one he had to watch most closely as he had heard that she could be rather _volatile_ which didn't surprise him in the slightest, having come up against various members of the Black family in the past. Most recently was the infamous Bellatrix Black who, thanks to a moments inattention on his part, had given him his rakish facial scar and who, quite concerningly, the young Cassandra Evans-Black looked frighteningly similar to. Studying her scandalously revealing outfit and multiple tattoos it was also clear that she had some serious issues with her self control. He groaned internally and hoped that this wouldn't end up like every duel he had ever witnessed involving her insane, Death Eater relative. She smiled up at him showing her teeth and he felt a cold shiver run up his spine. Bloody hell she was creepy.

Pulling himself together the Meister cast a sonorus to amplify his voice and started giving out the rules. Not that he expected a Black to abide by them.

"If you are rendered unconscious the duel is over. If you step off the platform the duel is over. You may yield at any time and the duel will be over." The dour, serious man continued. "The end of the duel will be signalled by a second cannon blast. Anyone attacking after the second cannon will be immediately disqualified and loses all points previously gained. Understood?"

The two witches nodded their agreement and briefly shook hands.

"Ladies, I expect a fair match within the letter of the rules and also within the spirit of this great tournament. When the first cannon sounds you may begin casting." He spread his arms indicating each end of the stone platform. "Champions to your starting positions and ... good luck."

The 'good luck' was mainly for the benefit of the nervous looking, blonde French girl who had the Meister's utmost sympathy at having to face off against the very scary, black haired young witch with the ice cold green eyes.

Cassie stood at her end of the pristine twelve feet wide and seventy two feet long, stone duelling platform rolling her shoulders and cracking her joints in preparation for the next few minutes of mental and physical exertion. Honestly she was pretty excited about this task and couldn't wait for the cannon to sound so that she could let loose with her new and _exotic_ range of spells that she and Suzie had been learning from grandma Walburgia. She might be a stroppy old cow but the old girl didn't half know some awesome curses and Cassie was just itching to test some of them out on the young woman that her girlfriend seemed to have taken a bit of a dislike to. There were two reasons for this, one was that Suzie would be very, _very_ grateful for her humiliation at Cassie's hands, the other was that it was going to be a great deal of fun. The cannon sounded and she gave a feral grin and let her first spell off the leash.

"Merde!"

Shit that stung. Fleur Delacour was, at this particular moment, not a happy camper. This round of the tournament had the potential to be a good points accumulator for her due to her natural veela fire based magic which was all wandless anyway, she just called it to her and there it was, literally at her fingertips. In order to do that, however, she needed to have the time to call it up which she wasn't currently getting as she twisted out of the way of a dirty, yellow curse only to get hit with a muddy brown one as she moved. What the fuck did that little bitch just hit her with Fleur thought, falling over as her leg hardened, went completely rigid and she lost all feeling in it.

She felt another stinging sensation on her scalp and her suddenly greasy, dirty, dark green hair flopped forward over her eyes. Bitch! Now she knew who had cursed her at Christmas although how and why she had done it Fleur could not quite work out. Not the she was spending much time trying to as all she could think of at the moment was ... _revenge_.

"Allez vous faire foutre, salope!"

Fleur screamed from her elongated face at a rather confused Cassie as she finally tapped into her inner veela, wings burst from her back and she rose ten feet into the air sending two large balls of blue fire rocketing at the black haired girl.

Up in the stands everyone in the Black family/Psycho Freak section shook their heads in sheer disbelief and anticipated Cassie's swift victory due to the insanity of the French half veela shooting fire at a known elemental specialist. It was Malfoy and the snakes all over again. It was odd though since none of them considered the Beaubaxtons champion to be unintelligent which could only mean that their trouble making leader had managed to piss the Delacour girl off to the extent that she had lost all sense and self control. They could all admit that that was more than possible. Well, all apart from her super supportive sister that is.

"What a feckin eejit."

"Yes because we all know that Cassie wouldn't deliberately annoy someone to the point where they lose all reason and try to kill her, don't we." Hermione simply couldn't resist poking fun at her Irish girlfriend.

"Meh. Feck her. Bitch probably deserved it, whatever it was."

She made this pronouncement as they watched Cassie walk straight through the oncoming flames and pick up the furious French woman with her air magic, much as she had done with the dragon in the last task. Unlike that time, however, it seemed that the Black heiress was being extremely careful to not hurt her fellow champion. Cassie was a little surprised at Fleur's intense angry reaction to, what she considered to be, her playfully annoying hexes but really didn't want to injure the upset young woman so had simply wrapped her up in her air magic to stop any accidental injuries to either of them. Unfortunately she now had the problem of what she was going to do with the steaming mad, half feathered and twitching girl. She didn't particularly want to humiliate her opponent but then again she wasn't overly keen on being shredded by those wicked looking talons either. In the end Cassie decided that she could live with one more person hating her, moved the now immobile Fleur through the air with her magic and deposited her rather firmly on the ground next to the Duel Meister thus ending the round.

The sound of the cannon blasting for a second time prompted a roar from the crowd, a renewed round of 'Land of My Fathers' and a sort of semi Mexican wave as Cassandra Evans-Black turned and took an extravagant bow and applauded them right back before bouncing off back to her tent. Rising from the deck chair where she had been sitting, sipping a fruity drink through a straw and watching her lover destroy whatever reputation as a duellist Phlegm Dela-trollop had up until then, Susan held out her arm and waited for Cassie to take it before guiding them back inside.

"Show off."

Susan Bones scolded her girlfriend as they strode through the tent flaps but couldn't quite keep the smile off of her face as she said it and swept the gorgeous, grinning girl up into a passionate embrace, paying no attention whatsoever to the red faced and coughing mediwitch who was trying to manoeuvre them to the daybed. Although a bed would come in quite handy now as Cassie had worked a bit of an _apetite_ thanks to Suzie's enthusiastic welcome. Now all she had to do was get rid of the embarrassed healer and they would be good to go.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

 **Round Four; Cedric Diggory vs Cassandra Evans-Black.**

The two Hogwarts champions were met with a wall of noise as they stepped on to their respective ends of the platform in the quidditch pitch/duelling arena. Cassie was a bit more prepared for it this time and had managed to not only not fall over her own feet in surprise but to also grin and raise her fist to the mass of waviing dragon flags, leeks and daffodils. She caught sight of the laughing Cedric and gave him a smirk while shrugging and indicating her enthusiastic new fans with a nod of her head. He also shook his head although Cassie did take notice that he did so quite slowly and more than a little carefully.

As before they were called to the centre of the platform and Duel Meister Kohl went through the rules again. She tuned him out and gave her fellow champion a more thorough, if surrupticious, inspection. Now that she was closer, Cassie could see the faint yellowish taint that indicated a hastily removed bruise and the size of it told her that cedric had taken a pretty nasty physical blow to the head. Also, much as he tried to hide it, she could see his hand was shaking slightly, a sure sign of a fast and dirty healing from some serious trauma. The black haired girl frowned wondering firstly, exactly what kind of magic Krum was using to cause these kind of injuries and secondly, given his somewhat battered condition whether she ought to take it easy on her Hufflepuff friend. On the one hand she had promised Katie not to pull her punches but on the other it looked as if poor old Ced would fall over if she blew on him hard enough and she really didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was. When Cassie shook his hand she held on to it for a moment and when he looked up into her face gave him the raised eyebrow of questioning concern.

"It's alright Cass, I'm good to go." Seeing her sceptical look he tried again. "Don't worry about me Evans I can still kick your scrawny arse."

Cassie nodded and gave him a grin, then they began moving back to their starting positions on the Meister's command.

Knowing that he needed to get off to a good start the blond haired Hufflepuff let loose with a barrage of his best offensive spells hoping to catch the Black heiress off guard and was astonished that he managed to push her backwards. This pleased him a great deal and he started to move forwards down the platform, jabbing and slashing with his hands to press his perceived advantage. Cedric was an old school wandless caster using his hands to replicate the wand movements while calling out his attacks as he moved. It was a tried and tested method and had the advantage of being reasonably powerful while not using too much of his magical core reserves. The major downside, however, was that your opponent would know precisely what you were casting and could shield against it. Which was exactly what the tattooed young witch in front of him was doing right now, and to great effect. She was still backing up though, inching towards the rearmost edge of the platform. All he had to do was push a little more and he would win this. Elation filled his heart as he summoned up the last of his reserves for one final effort.

At the other end of the platform Cassie was finding herself impressed both by her less than intelligent friend's surprisng amount of skill and also his admirable sense of purpose. Cedric really seemed to want to win this and he was going all out with banishers, stunners and even some cutting hexes battering into her shield as she slowly retreated. The sheer variety of curses that she was having to defend against was restricting her ability to go on the attack as she was constantly having to make small adjustments to the thickness and position of her shield charm in order to keep him at bay. Deciding to use her backwards motion to lure Cedric into a mistake she slighty weakened her shield and increased her pace, being rewarded with a clear increase in the onslaught of spells coming at her. As her back foot hit the edge of the duelling platform her opponent did just what she had been expecting when she reached this point. He leaned back, gathering his remaining strength for one last gargantuan effort, probably an over powered banisher, to push her off for the victory. And in that split second she struck.

Cedric's arms had just started their forward motion to cast his bludgeoning hex when he noticed that Cassie had her own left arm with it's balled fist pointed straight at him ... and that cold, creepy smile on her face. If he could have stopped he would have but it was too late now and all he could was to shout his spell, cast it as strongly as he was able and hope that he overpowered her ... whatever it was that she had cast at him.

 _"Everbo!"_

Cassie grinned as she heard him shout the bludgeoning hex and watched on with a detatched interest as he staggered back a few feet before being swept up off of his feet and thrown a good ninety feet into the barrier behind the duelling platform. She had simply increased the strength of her shield and then banished it at Cedric with all the force that she could muster. The effect of being hit, first by his own rebounding curse and then, almost immediately after, by the fast moving shield was catastrophic on the already bruised young man who was mercifully unconscious by the time he hit the barrier. She _might_ have overdone it a bit.

 **Whoopsie.**

There a few moments of strained silence as a collective breath was held by the nervous onlooking crowd before Madame Pomfrey signalled that the popular young Hufflepuff seeker was okay before the cheering broke out. The applause only increased when Cassie skipped over to the recovering but still woozy Hogwarts champion, gave him a kiss on the cheek and raised his arm in the air along with her own. Virtually everyone in the stadium (apart from the Durmstrang and Beaubaxtons contingents) stood and roared their approval at the exciting match and the great display of sportsmanship shown.

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 **Round Six; Cassandra Evans-Black vs Viktor Krum.**

There was an air of excited anticipation in the stadium as the champions came out for the final match up in the wandless duels task. Family, friends, well wishers and supporters were all on tenter hooks. Reporters and photographers were poised and ready. This was the one that everybody had been waiting for. The animosity between the two combatants was well known around the staff, students and even parents and they were all looking forward expectantly to another brutal Evans-Black bloodbath. They would not be disappointed.

Krum was standing at his end of the platform pulling on pair of metal gauntlets and grinning at Cassie as they waited for the cannon to let them off the leash. She gazed back at him with a cool indifference simply standing totally relaxed with her arms folded across her chest. There were no formalities this time, no bowing, no handshakes and certainly no respect. It seemed like the hopes of the huge crowd were going to be more than realised.

When the cannon sounded with a blast Cassie watched with interest, finally understanding the reason for the battered looking platform and all the broken rocks. Viktor dropped to one knee and punched the stone platform breaking off a large piece of rubble which he then tossed into the air a couple of times seeming to weigh it carefully. Having apparently satisfied himself that his projectle was acceptable he flipped it up and drove his fist through it propelling it at great speed towards her. Hmmm, it was an interesting interpretation of 'wandless' magic and quite honestly was the kind of thing she would have done herself if she weren't so proficient in spell casting without a focus. Not that it was going to help Viktor she thought as merely raised her left hand and solidfied the air in front of her so that the rock impacted against an invisible wall and dropped harmlessly to the floor.

He was fast though, using his physical stamina to punch and pound the stone projectiles at an impressive rate. So impressive in fact that he was actually able to get one through her defenses and the rough edge sliced open her cheek as she dodged out of it's path. She raised an eyebrow at the now crowing and posturing Bulgarian, swiped her index finger across the injury and then brought it to her lips, tasting her own blood with a thoughtful expression. Up until now she had just been blocking, getting a feel for his style and speed but she thought that it was probably time to offer a little offense.

Cassie waited for him to punch out another chunk of rubble and as he tossed it in the air she grabbed it with her air magic, moved it a foot to his left and held it there just as his threw his right arm at it full force. Viktor's fist sailed through the space where the rock should have been without connecting and his momentum carried him forward to collide face first with his target. Blood exploded from his forehead and nose and he stumbled back blinking and bringing his still gauntleted hands up to his battered face. It was then that a very mean idea occured to Cassie which, being the totally reasonable and considered human being that she was, she immediately acted upon. The tattooed heiress fired a decently powered banisher right at the Durmstrang champions metal gloved hands which had the effect of making him punch himself in the face. Twice.

The crowd went wild.

As she had done with the Beaubaxton's champion Cassie reached out with her air mastery and grabbed Viktor around the torso pinning his arms to his body. Un-like her actions with Fleur, however, she then proceeded to toss him around like a rag doll, lifting him up and then slamming him down into the platform, the ground and even the the stands. When she had finally tired of this game he tried to stand on his shattered ankles only to drop groaning to the ground once more.

From his position half kneeling, half slumped on the rough, ruined stonework of the platform Viktor Krum reached around behind him, pulled a wand from his jacket and pointed it at the black haired witch that had just humiliated him in front of his peers and the press. She would not walk away from this with nothing more than a graze on her cheek. He would make her pay in blood. The cannon went off to signal his defeat and he totally ignored it as his conqueror turned her back on him to take the applause of the crowd.

 _"Perfigo Rapido."_

The powerful piercing hex found it's mark. It wasn't precisely where he had aimed but it was close enough as it hit the unsuspecting and unshielded girl in her left side about three inches above her hip. Not quite her spine, he thought, but it would cetainly do the little bitch some serious damage. Take that you dyke whore, he gloated as she dropped to one knee and put a hand to her blood covered side in obvious pain. Viktor was laughing through his broken teeth and the resulting tears streaming down his face meant that he did not see when she rose again with a dark and furious look on her face.

 **Motherfucker.**

Cassie rounded on the Durmstrang champion and seeing the wand in his hand a righteous rage started to build in her. Cheating bastard. She was going to fucking kill him. Ignoring the pain and the blood trickling into the top of her dragon hide trousers she stalked towards Viktor who was now scrambling to his feet and backing away from the enraged young woman. He saw her eye twitching behind the dark glasses and realised that he was in a lot of trouble here. Already injured and clearly outgunned in the power stakes he had just made the possibly fatal mistake of attacking his opponent from behind after the match had already concluded. He had poked the bear and there was only one thing that he could do now. Finish it. For good.

It was perhaps an indication of just how angry she was that Cassie attempted a piece of borderline 'dark' elemental magic that she had never used before. Then seeing the wizards running towards the pair of them she contracted and strengthened the barrier closing the two of them into a tight and vitually unpenetrable shield that just covered the duelling platform.

 **Alone at last.**

She held out her right hand at ninety degrees to her body and focused all of her considerable will on the darkening sky. All at once a lightning bolt crashed from the grey clouds into her outstretched hand. Instead of frying her, however, the streak of charged air seemed to caress the raven haired witch like a long lost lover and wrapped itself around her wrist and began to re-form into a long, snarling, crackling, sparking lightning whip. Cassie looked down at her fabulous new toy then back up to the horrified looking Viktor and smiled her creepiest smile while making small circles with her wrist.

Viktor's eyes followed the hypnotic, dancing tip of the lightning lash before he made the mistake of looking up and into the cold eyed, smiling face of Cassandra Evans-Black and his bladder immediately emptied itself. He gulped and re-adjusted the grip on his unregistered, backup wand fortifying himself for the pain he was sure was about to come. Still he was the celebrated Viktor Krum and he wasn't about to go down without a fight. With this thought bolstering his courage Viktor brought the wand up and fired off another high powered piercing hex at the creepy bitch's chest. When it simply bounced off the shield that he hadn't even seen her cast his bowells joined his bladder in evacuating and he shit himself as well.

The whip flicked out as the livid, black haired girl advanced on her prey and cracked impressively and satifyingly against Viktor's right arm before slliding down, leaving a smoking trail of sparks, torn cloth and red raw skin to curl around his wand hand. Channelling even more magic through it Cassie gave the smallest of tugs and the Durmstrang champion's wand flew out across the arena to land thirty feet away on the grass. As did his severed hand which was still gripping it tightly. The shock of this caused Viktor to look wide eyed at the bloody stump where his right hand should have been and he made the extrememly unwise and regretable decision to open his damned silly mouth.

"You fucking bitch, I'm going to fuck you to death ... and your _kurva_ girlfriend too."

He really should have been more prepared for the inevitable reaction that this shouted threat provoked but, again probably due to the shock, it was a total surprise when she instantly closed the distance between them and decked him with a boot to the groin. Cassie's anger was at an all time high after his threat to Suzie and it showed no signs of dissapating as the blows from her lightning whip rained down hard and fast on the unfortunate young man.

Igor Karkaroff stared in horror as his prized student was lashed to within an inch of his life by the clearly furious young woman. Viktor's clothes were falling off of his prone body in great smoking strips of coth as the 'girl-who-lived' continued her vicious, rage fuelled assault on the alternately screaming and begging young man at her feet.

Barty Crouch Junior was enjoying the show immensely. The first part of the duel had been extremely entertaining in it's own right but now things were getting a lot more interesting. Hidden wands, curses in the back, dark elemental magic and swift and deadly retribution resulting in the terrible screams of wizard writhing on the floor in agony. Oh yes, this took him right back the good old times in the service of the Dark Lord back in the 'Seventies. This girl would make a simply wonderful Dark Lady and one that he personally would definitely have no problems following. Especially since Voldemort was currently stuck in his toddler form, and a very bad tempered one at that. His treatment of anyone stupid enough to refer to the Evans girl in any way other than hoping for her death testified to just how bad that temper could get. Although as the 'girl-who-lived' vanished her lightning whip and start to lay into the Krum boy with her nasty looking boots Barty thought that she could probably give the Volde-baby a run for his money in the temper stakes. He felt the almost uncontrollable urge to boo as a dozen wizards finally made it through the barrier wards and physically pulled her off of the insensible Bulgarian quidditch prodigy.

As Severus, Sirius and Remus dragged the snarling, spitting, frothing girl away, still trying to kick out at Viktor, Madame Pomfrey, Dumbledore and the Duel Meister raced over to the distubingly un-moving young wizard to assess the damage. The headmaster's face paled as he and the healer levitated the broken champion across the pitch and into his tent for treatment. Although at this point it looked as if they might be having to make use of the emergency portkey to St. Mungo's. Herman Kohl took a long look at the mayhem and destruction that the tattooed young woman had caused and cursed his prescient nature. This girl was far more terrifying than Bellatrix. Where the Death Eater was all hot temper and emotion, she was cold, coherent, calculating fury. If they hadn't gotten through that barrier he was sure that Viktor Krum would be little more than a stain on the stonework by now. He made up his mind to get the hell out of this benighted country as fast as possible as he was positive that it would take very little provocation for Cassandra Evans-Black to burn the whole damned place to the ground. And he didn't want to be within a thousand miles of her when she did it.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	33. Chapter 33

**Thanks very much for all the lovely reviews that this story has been getting lately. I work very hard on it and it's always nice to be appreciated and to know that people are enjoying it.**

 **This chapter is all about the aftermath of the wandless duels task, reactions and reports from friends and enemies alike, and takes place over a single weekend. Also there will be some of Gabby Delacour in this one and as before with Fleur I'll be writing her dialogue in plain English so add your own accents as required.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **33\. Bad Reputation.**

Now that the adrenaline had worn off and her rage had dulled a little, all that Cassie could focus on was the excruciating amount of pain that she was in. She was sat on the hospital bed in her champions tent under the watchful gazes of Padfoot, Moony and professors Snape and Sinistra with her hand clamped tightly over the ragged hole in her side trying to regulate her breathing. It was a trick she had learned back in her days in the child services shared homes and later on the streets. Casual violence was a fact of life in her childhood and she had developed many ways to deal with the pain of her frequent beatings. Breathing exercises, while not quite as effective, would certainly draw less attention than some of the more unusual pain management techniques that she had developed over the years.

Of course being who she was and with her temperament and her gift for attracting trouble of all kinds she was obviously going to draw a good amount of attention anyway. Unfortunately now the last person she wanted to seemed to be taking more than a professional interest in her. It took a great deal to make Cassandra Evans-Black nervous but a pissed off Poppy Pomfrey managed it with ridiculous ease.

"Miss Evans-Black." The school nurse looked less than happy. "I trust you remember our _conversation_ at the end of your second year." At the girl's cautious nod, Poppy Pomfrey continued on. "And yet ... here we are again. Still at least you're not in as bad a state as mister Krum, the headmaster has just transferred him to St. Mungo's."

She would have grinned, despite the pain, on hearing that snippet of information but the grim look on the healer's face told her that this probably wouldn't be one of her better ideas. The next few minutes were spent in painful silence with the annoyed healer poking and prodding with her wand, none too gently, at her wound and slapping the interested python that kept getting in her way and hissing at her every time that Cassie flinched. The tattooed witch chuckled at her familiar but when he started making life a bit too difficult for Madame Pomfrey she gently hissed at him to stop.

 _"I love how protective you are Shortie but you need to let her do her job now, lovely boy."_

 _"She's hurting you mistress."_

 _"No she's fixing me."_

Shortcake didn't look too convinced but allowed the nurse to continue unmolested while he contented himself with coiling around Cassie's shoulders and massaging her head. He was soon joined by mistress Red sitting down on her right hand side and between the two of them they soothed and stroked her, attempting to calm the exhausted and still fairly angry young woman. Feeling the tension start to drain from her muscles, the girl and the snake were just about to start congratulating themselves for a job well done when a crowd of angry wizards burst in shouting and ruined all of their good work.

It didn't take much for the darkness and rage still simmering just beneath the surface of Cassie's mind to break loose and if she wasn't being held down by the observant and fast reacting Susan Bones and Poppy Pomfrey there may well have been a reappearance of the lightning whip. Igor Karkaroff seemed blissfully unaware of just how much danger he was in right now as he screamed and spat in her face. Perhaps a third of the people crammed into the confines of the tent were shouting and berating her along with him and the rest were yelling right back at them. It was noisy and chaotic and while normally she enjoyed both of those things, today all that Cassie wanted to do was sneak off to her own bed and curl up with her girlfriend. The appearance of the Hogwarts headmaster didn't improve her mood.

Albus Dumbledore was in a quandary. In order to keep to his new plan of apparent support of the Black heiress he really should step in and put a stop to this but quite honestly he was having to struggle to not grin and egg on all the shouty idiots giving her a hard time at the moment. Unfortunately, however, the necessity of keeping the House of Black on side meant that he couldn't indulge his desire to see the bad tempered young woman castigated and thrown into prison. It was a shame though because having her soul sucked out by dementors would be a fitting end for the nasty little half blood. Sighing and putting aside his daydreams for the time being, Dumbledore waded into the melee in an attempt to restore some semblence of order. This was much easier said than done.

A red headed young man who was accompanying Mister Crouch today was sneering at Cassie from his position beside his boss and hoping that he would get a chance to lay into the girl who had seduced his sister away from her rightful family. Percy Weasley was enjoying taunting the 'cheat champion' as his mother referred to her and decided to have another dig at the girl, meaning to scare her with the threat of Azkaban. This was possibly not his most well thought out move given her temper today.

"I'm not sure whether letting you have your wand back is a good idea. Perhaps we should keep it at the Ministry for now in case charges need to brought against you."

 **I don't need a wand to hand you your bloody arse, you Ministry fu ...**

Susan Bones gently took her girlfriends wildly gesticulating hands and pulled them into her chest effectively cutting off Cassie's tirade before she really got into her stride and giving her chills in the process as the fingers 'accidentally' brushed her nipples. She would have reprimanded her smirking lover but it was the first time that she seen anything except pain of anger on her face since she had been dragged back in here earlier in the day.

"Shhhh. Enough now sweetheart." Susan held her close so that she could whisper in the black haired girl's ear. "Remember what auntie says about our dealings with Ministry officials."

Suzie's aunt Amelia was full of useful tips on stuff like this and one her main ones was about trying not to deliberately piss off even low ranking members of the government as you never knew where they might end up one day. Cassie guessed that you didn't get to be the head of the DMLE without having some semblence of political savvy, no matter how good you were at the job, and therefore tended to listen quite carefully when the older woman gave out these little pearls of wisdom.

"Don't be an idiot Weatherby, there's no question of any kind of proceeding against Miss Evans-Black. The Bulgarian boy was clearly in the wrong. Now kindly return the young lady's wand and remove yourself from my presence." He looked irritated at the shocked young man. "Perhaps you could go and find some papers to shuffle while I clean up your mess."

This outburst seemed to stun everyone in the tent except the defence against the dark arts professor who was loitering in the entrance way. He knew that his old man could be a bit of a bastard. Although in this case it was well deserved as that ridiculous moron Weatherby/Weasleby was a right sneaky little ginger prick. His dad hadn't accumulated much respect from Barty Junior over the course of his life but he must admit that he had to give points to the old git for putting that little shit in his place.

"Thank-you Barty. Now, ladies and gentlemen I think we shoud retire to my chambers up at Hogwarts so that we can hash out the champions scores in relative peace and quiet."

The beetle animagus that was hidden in the shadows in the far corner of the tent watched with great interest as the old headmaster shepherded the disgruntled group of grumbling judges and hangers on out through the entrance, leaving the two girls and the healer alone. Rita saw the clearly tense black haired beauty let her head fall against her girlfriend's shoulder and let out a relieved but pretty shaky sigh. If it weren't for the fact that she was a reporter and almost required to do so she would have felt a bit bad for observing such a private moment between the two heiresses. As it was however she would be able to provide the Prophet's pensieve with a memory that would make for some fantastic pictures. Perhaps she could get the new girl Clearwater to write a suitably saccharine, sweet human interest piece to go with them.

For her own tournament report it was more the after action vulnerability of the publicly always strong Cassandra Evans-Black that she wanted to show and this memory was going to be very useful indeed. It was a starkly different portrayal of the primary heiress to the House of Black that she was planning but after the Witch Weekly pictorial editions had smashed her own paper's circulation figures she had to something a bit more daring than some dry duelling report. Not that this duel report would be boring after the way Miss Evans-Black ha gone to town on the Bulgarian champion. Speaking of which she really should be getting off to the hospital. Rita Skeeter crawled from her dark corner before fluttering off to find somewhere private to change and head to the apparition point.

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The next morning at an extremely well attended Sunday breakfast the serene and beautiful vision of Cedric Diggory and Katie Bell entered the great hall arm in arm and smiling at all and sundry. Instead of turning right to join his house mates, however, and to the surprise of the assembled students the pair headed straight down the centre of the hall to stand in front of the Psycho Freak table.

"Mind if we join you ladies?"

If he wasn't accompanied by his girlfriend and if she wasn't quite so flambuoyantly and outrageously gay, Charli Potter would have kissed the handsome, blonde haired, Hufflepuff seeker for being so sweet to her sister. The looks that Cassie had been receiving this morning had ranged from slightly suspicious to outright fearful with only a few of the Slytherins (led by the Greengrass girls) opting for cautiously impressed so Cedric's generous action was most welcome. There was an audible buzz from the hall as the two of them sat with the Freaks and started pulling fruit, pancakes and porridge towards them.

"How's your side now Cassandra, any better?"

"Would you mind calling her Cass or Cassie please guys, it's just that only grandma Walburgia calls her Cassandra and hearing someone as nice as you using the name does weird things to her. Oh and she's not in any pain thank-you."

The bark of laughter that this explanation from Susan prompted burst across the strangely quiet hall and seemed to release it's occupants from whatever sort of spell it was keeping them so close mouthed. Cassie grinned at her fellow champion and gave him a thumbs up before jumping up on the table and doing an enthusiastic twirl to indicate and demonstrate her lack of pain from yesterday's injury. It also had the effect of flaring out her rather short skirt, showing off her underwear to basically the whole school, leaving a great many red faces among the staff and students and resulting in a resigned shake of the head from her girlfriend.

"Stop showing everyone your pants you big dork."

There was another round of laughter, which quickly turned to a chorus of 'aahs', as Cassie leapt from the table to land lighty in Suzie's lap, grabbed the sides off her head and gave her a very long, deep and lingering kiss. Their impromptu smooching session was interrupted by someone clearing their throat from behind them.

"Miss Evans-Black the headmaster would like a word if you have a moment and if you're not too _busy_ of course."

 **I really don't want to go in there alone, Suze.**

"It's alright Miss Evans-Black, I'll be coming with you." The girls all looked up in shocked surprise at their faculty head. "What. Did you really think that I would accept the position as head of your House without learning how to communicate with you? It just took a while to learn it properly."

 **Did professor Snape help you out with that?**

Cassie put on her most innocently curious expression as she signed her question and the closely watching girls subsequently snorted and giggled at the good natured astronomy teacher who went very red indeed under their grinning srutiny. Aurora Sinistra scowled at the mischievous little cows who made up her House and rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Yes yes, most amusing girls shall we get going now _Cassandra._ "

Cassie rose and flounced off after the professor waving her hands around and pulling faces behind her back only to blush prettily and hang her head when the older woman turned around suddenly and caught her doing it. The two of them made the rest of the journey to the headmaster's office with the laughter of most of the rest of the students and staff ringing in their ears.

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With all of the books, trinkets and portraits for her to investigate Cassie had to admit that the headmaster's office was rather interesting. Not nearly as interesting as his phoenix was though. Fawkes was delighted to see the little warrior from the chamber of secrets alive and in such good health and wasted no time in hopping from his perch to the girl's shoulder, trilling happily and rubbing his head against hers. She huffed out a laugh at the affectionate bird's actions and wondered just what it was about her that made all these strange magical creatures react like this.

"Good morning Miss Evans-Black, and professor Sinistra too, what a lovely surprise to see you here."

"I don't know why it should be a surprise headmaster, I am Cassandra's faculty head of House. It is my duty to be in any eduationally related meeting with her."

"Of course, of course. You are quite right. Silly of me to forget."

Both Cassie and Aurora's eyes narrowed at that as there was no way the old man simply 'forgot'. They risked a quick glance at one another and then hunkered down for what was sure to be one of the most tiring experiences of the weekend and that included the three duels that she had fought yesterday. Wading through Albus Dumbledore's bullshit was always bloody exhausting.

 **Shall we get on, I''m supposed to be taking Suzie and the girls out for lunch in Hogsmeade later and you don't want to know what'll happen if I'm late.**

"Well I certainly wouldn't want to make you late for such an important event."

The old man's eyes sparkled as he wound up to his opening statement.

"As you are aware, there was quite a bit of _discussion_ after the final duel yesterday as well as some unwarranted threats made by some of those present. Now while I am in no way condoning their actions, I will just say that it was an emotional time for everyone involved due to the serious injury to Mister Krum and I would consider it a personal favour if you would hold off on any retaliation."

 **Agreed.**

"Really?"

Bloody hell that was easy. I mean Albus had expected at least some kind of a sign of annoyance from the girl. It was never that easy with the Evans brat. Violence may not be her immediate response to any given situation but it was definitely pretty high up on the list. As she had so terrifyingly and impressively demonstrated on the Durmstrang champion the day before when she went batshit nuts on him with that awful lightning whip. Given her childhood (or rather the lack of it) and his own part in making that happen as well as his various manipulations over the years it was entirely understandable, he supposed. He had, in fact, relied upon it in order that she would be much more likely to attack Tom and die at the end of his wand so he would be able to swoop in and save the day. What he didn't expect was for a reasoned and reasonable reaction from her. If the nastly little half blood dyke had learned subtetly and restraint then his own self imposed purpose of undermining and alienating her to make her a tool for the light (as well as for his own amusement) was in serious trouble.

"You seem surprised headmaster. Did you not expect such reasonable behaviour from one of the students from your own school?" Professor Sinistra tried her very best not to snort with laughter at her own little joke. To her own surprise the old man did actually chuckle.

"Well Miss Evans-Black does have something of a ... _reputation_." He shifted his gaze back to Cassie and resumed his earlier look of pensive concern. "A reputation that was not exactly enhanced by your use of a marginally dark elemental spell in a very public place yesterday. Did your esteemed grand mother teach you that one or did you get it from one your father's less reputable books from the Black library?"

 **Trust me he's got a lot less reputable books than that in his library.**

Albus Dumbledore was unable to hold back the snort of laughter that her reply forced from him. Despite the fact that he abhored everything that she represented he was regretting not having a chat with her before now. It was so difficult to find a truly intelligent and amusing antagonist. Tom, for all of his awesome power and focus had absolutely no sense of humour whatsoever, unless you counted having clowns like Malfoy and Crouch Junior in his inner circle that is.

"I'm sure he has. I seem to recall Sirius was rather fond of literature of a ... certain type."

Cassie smiled and scratched Fawkes' head causing him to trill happily in her lap and fluff his feathers, tickling his host which made her huff and shake with laughter delightfully.

"Anyway Miss Evans-Black I just wanted to reassure you that there will be no charges laid against you, since Mister Krum initiated an attack after the duel had ended and your actions can be caimed as self defence. Also due to your status as the heiress of a Noble and Most Ancient House if the young man does try and push matters he coulld find himself in Azkaban for attacking you and I'm sure you don't wish that on him."

He was pretty sure that she wouldn't mind in the least if krum was locked up.

 **Oh no. It's much more entertaining making him look like an idiot in front of his adoring public. Not that that takes much effort on my part. Still, I don't really want to give up the fun just yet.**

"It occurs to me that Mister Krum is a touch on the vain side. Can you imagine how angry and upset he would be if _someone_ were to use one of those extremely fast acting and entertaining hair loss charms on him?"

 **I** _ **may**_ **know someone who has some experience with a spell like that.**

The two of them grinned carefully at each other, sharing a brief and rare moment of mutual interest over the thought of pranking the miserable Bulgarian quidditch star. Dumbledore was feeling in a very good mood and gave the Black heiress a twinkly eyed wink as his phoenix swung his head and sang in happiness at what he thought was his old master's change of heart.

"Please don't encourage her headmaster, she's bad enough as it is."

"I look forward to see you again Miss Evans-Black, hopeully under more pleasant circumstances. I feel like I have been remiss in not getting to know you better over the last few years and for that I apologise."

He risked a quick brush with his leglimency over her surface emotions as the two witches left his office and his very sad phoenix hopped back up to his perch by the window. There was a great deal of mis-trust aimed at him (not unwarranted or much of a surprise) along with some tentative amusement and something ... _darker_ that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Hopefully that was from her plans for Mister Krum rather than for him. Yes, she made for a much more fun opponent then the dull as ditch water Tom Riddle. He wondered if it was possible to turn a 'tool for the light' into a full fledged Dark Lady that he could demonstate his brilliance and magical prowess against once more at a later date.

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Severus Snape swept around the corner in his usual darkly impressive, bat like manner and just barely managed to avoid knocking down a small, blue clad blonde girl. She looked up at him with more annoyance than fear in her icy blue eyes and then started to prattle away in extremely fast and incomprehensible (to him) French. Her total lack of either trepidation or any form of decorum whatsoever reminded him, uncomfortably, of Lily's daughter. That same intensity in her gaze, the same feeling that you were dealing with somene far older than their years and, of course, that same creepy aura of barely restrained violence. Thank Merlin she was attending Beaubaxtons and he didn't have to deal with the another incarnation of the mistress of chaos that was Cassandra Evans-Black for very long. Not if he could help it anyway. With this thought making his stomach do flip flops, he vowed to simply show the strange blonde into the tower and then get the bloody hell out of there long before the inevitable, dangerous lunacy began.

"I found this young lady outside, it seems that she would like to speak with you."

Cassie watched as the potions master literally bolted from the common room, having delivered his charge, as fast as his legs would carry him. And what a charge it was. Oh my Goddess but she was cute. Tinier even than their own firsties, impossibly pretty, impossibly blonde and dressed in the sweetest little version of the sky blue uniform of Beaubaxtons school, she looked like a cross between a fairy and an angel. The Black heiress felt that there was the gentlest of brushes at the back of her brain and a small voice appeared in her head saying, _'save me, protect me, love me'_ , which surprised her a bit to say the least. Then she made the French connection. Veela. Pulling her sleek, rimless glasses down the bridge of her nose Cassie peered at the tiny blonde girl interestedly over the top of the dark, smoky lenses with a raised eyebrow.

Truthfully Gabrielle Delacour had been pacing the corridor outside of the Psycho Freak tower for quite some time, in two minds as to whether she should actually be doing this or not. Her sister would definitely disapprove of what she was here for but that had never bothered her before. Besides, grandmere had insisted that she come and smooth things over with the beautiful heiress of the politically powerful Black family. She was more concerned by the fact that by coming here she might start a chain of events that could quickly run out of her control. And like Cassie herself, Gabrielle was all about control. When the dark haired teacher had come hurrying at her, almost knocking her over, the decision was made for her as he had simply guessed at who she was here to visit and dragged her straight into the lair of the Freaks. Now she was here and there was no going back and ... shit ... she had just accidentally projected her immature allure at the beautiful, black haired girl that she had come to see who was now giving her a _very_ thorough examination.

Of all the times for her allure to break free why did it have to be now and in front of probably the most scarilly and powerful slightly unhinged witch that she had ever met, who she was trying to make a good impression on. Usually she had such perfect control of it but when she came up against someone as pants wettingly scary as Cassandra Evans-Black it just seemed to have a will of it's own. This wasn't totally surprising as the whole point of the allure in those of her age with Veela blood was to encourage and boost the protectective instincts of the most powerful person in the vicinity. Still, it didn't stop her from being embarrassed by her complete lack of control. Face reddening in shame the young French girl gathered her rapidly diminishing courage and introduced herself.

"Hello Mademoiselle Evans-Black, members of the Psycho Freak House." She pronounced slowly and carefully in heavily accented English, stumbling slightly over the unfamiliar words. "My name is Gabrielle Delacour and I have come to pay my respects to you and to thank you for your generous treatment of my sister."

 **The Beaubaxtons champion, didn't I piss her off and utterly humiliate her?**

"Cassie greets you Mademoiselle Delacour and says that you are most welcome but is confused as she believed that your sister was more than a little upset with her for ending the duel so ... abruptly." Once again Susan felt the need to translate her lover's reply in to a form that would be socially acceptable. Merlin help her if too many important people learned how to sign and could understand what she was _actually_ saying about them.

"Fleur has quite the temper when she feels that she has been slighted." A tiny smirk flashed across the miniscule blonde's mouth. "For me, I am just happy that my big sister was not badly hurt. Having seen what she did to that horrid Durmstrang boy I am certain that Miss Evans-Black could have done far worse to her than she did."

"Well I think it was very nice of you to come and say thanks Gabrielle and I totally get where you're coming from with stroppy, temperamental sisters. Oh and you might want to start calling her Cassie, that Miss Evans-Black business seems to _really_ piss her off for some reason." Charli cocked her thumb at an open mouthed Cassie who immediately attacked her with a cushion and the signalled the end of the formal section of this evening's discussion.

It was pandemonium in the Psycho Freak common room and the younger Delacour felt seriously out of her depth. There were feathers everywere, obscuring the view of the random cushions and pillows that were being used as projectiles flying through the air to impact with sqeaks and shrieks. She goggled at the sight of a bloody great snake tripping up up an unsuspecting, bushy haired older girl, who managed to land hard on the floor but without either spilling her tea or dropping her book. Being quite the little scholar herself she considered this to be very impressive. Dodging another charmed piece of soft furnishing the blonde witch loked for an escape route and found it in a softly spoken girl of her own age (she guessed) grabbing her hand.

"Gabby, Gabby, quick down here."

The extremely excited Welsh girl pulled the small veela down behind the overturned sofa and the pair wriggled their way inside the small gap that it's shape made with the floor. Once the two girls were safe inside their fortress they sat giggling at the sounds of utter chaos and mayhem going on around them. Their hands brushed together and what felt like an electrically charged thrill ran through both girls making them shiver. Gabrielle looked at the quiet, dark haired girl who resembled her heroine so closely and felt something stir deep within her. Uh oh. While she didn't exactly _know_ what this feeling was she did have a pretty good idea and if it _was_ what she thought it was then she was going to be in serious trouble with her parents.

Mating was a big deal in the veela community. It was also incredibly rare. Neither her mother or her grandmere had found their mates and they were far from the exception. This was the reason why every girl with veela blood was taught from a very young age to recognise the signs so that they didn't inadvertantly pass right by their chosen one should they be lucky enough to find them. Nobody would be upset if Gabrielle had indeed found her mate so early in her life, quite the opposite in fact. No it was more the fact that the prospective mate in question was a member of the group that she had been expressly forbidden by her family to have any prolonged contact with other than her mission here today. There was no way around this one as Cerys, along with all of the other Psycho Freaks was, in all but name, a Black.

It was one thing to be a little rebellious but Gabrielle was now struggling with the opposing pull of loyalty to her family and the all consuming desire to be near this strangely fascinating girl that she had only just met. She had a sudden and irresistable urge to kiss the pretty little English witch and set her mind to coming up with a plan on how she was going to achieve this before abandoning such thoughts and simply resorting to subterfuge.

"My saviour, I must reward you in the appropriate and time honoured fashion."

Gabrielle tapped into her Gallic sense of the dramatic and held the back of her hand against her forehead before falling backwards into Cerys' lap. The clear blue eyes of the French girl looked up into ones of sea green above her and held them in a gentle gaze then reaching her hands around the back of the other girl's head pulled her down and onto her lips. The shimmering haze that engulfed the lip locked pair went completely un-noticed by either girl as did the fact that all noise in the common room had now ceased. And also that the sofa was no longer covering them.

"Having fun?"

Susan's amused question finally broke the breathless twelve year olds apart. Even in this state the discipline of Gabrielle's mind kept her from squeaking in shock and embarrassment. The girl she had been kissing so thoroughly a moment ago did not fare quite so well. Cerys Williams did indeed sqeak and buried her scarlet hued face into her shoulder.

Once the room had been restored to it's former and only slightly less messy state and refreshments provided by a disgruntled and very stern looking house elf Gabrielle began to relax again. This was decidedly more like the tea parties that she was used to and the familiarity of it calmed her down considerably. She and Cerys were still being subjected to some absolutely merciless teasing but at least they were now on the sofa instead of cowering behind it and covered in feathers.

 **Anyone else got any ideas on how we can entertain our guest here. You know other, than snogging her pretty little face off, eh Cerys?**

"We could get the record player out and have a bit of a dance."

Three pairs of young eyes in particular lit up at this suggestion by Charli.

"You could always do _that_ dance for her."

Two voices as one asked the question with her own brand of faux innocence. Damn. Cassie really wished that she hadn't taught them that, they were just too good at it, the manipulative little cows. She knew how this was going to end up but still, she ought to put up some kind of a fight.

 **Oh hell no.**

"Oh go on, do the 'Shake It Off' dance Cassie. _Pleeeaase_."

It didn't take very long for Cassie to capitulate to the wide eyed, pleading faces of Juliette and Mathilde and she gathered the Psycho Freak dance troupe, disappearing off to get changed. Five minutes later clad in their RWBY outfits and carrying the record player Cassie led Susan Ginny and Luna out into the common room to prepare. Cerys leaned over and whispered in the ear of the blonde girl on the sofa next to her causing a delicious shudder to run down her spine.

"You're going to love this."

Three minutes later and Gabrielle Delacour was sure that her jaw was dislocated by now.

When the little veela had finally been sent off back to the Beaubaxtons carriage with Cassie and Luna as an escort, as they both wanted to visit the Abraxans again, the rest of the girls immediately turrned on the small, dark haired Welsh girl. A grinning Ginny Weasley sidled up next to her, put her arm around her and said conspiratorially.

"Sooo ... Cerys and the veela huh?"

She sighed resignedly and shook her head. Cerys Williams had known full well that this was coming and was only shocked by the fact that they had managed to hold themselves back until Gabby had left the tower. Now, however, it was definitely open season.

"How was it then?"

"Bloody lush."

Cerys Williams managed to grin and blush all at the same time and her unbelievably cute reaction got a boisterous response from her house mates who bundled on top of her, hungrily demanding details.

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 **A quick apology for being late with this chapter. It just did not want to come.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	34. Chapter 34

**Writer's block has been kicking my arse wth a vengence lately so I'm going to ignore all other stories for a while (apologies to my followers and long suffering Beta on Fortunate Son?) and just concentrate on this one for a while until I get myself back in the groove. Sorry about that but needs must.**

 **This is more or less the second part of last chapter which I split up due to length (I find over that much over 5 or 6k words and I start to get a bit bogged down and distracted as a reader) and the fact that I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **34\. Bad Reputation (Part 2).**

The scores for the champions, when they had been finally announced on the Monday night, were of a great interest to everyone gathered in the great hall. Obviously the competitors themselves were curious (with the exception of Cassie that is who really didn't seem to care even in the slightest) as were their supporters and friends but it was the rest of the audience who seemed to be most interested. Surprisingly perhaps, a vast majority of them were on the side of the Black heiress, some maybe for family or political reasons, others simply because the strange and violent young woman made things so much more exciting and interesting than they would otherwise have been. It also didn't hurt that Cedric, although choosing to sit with his Hufflepuff house mates tonight had made sure to drop by the Psycho Freak table once again to give his outspoken support for his tentative new friend and fellow Hogwarts champion.

So there was total rapt attention from everyone in the hall when the headmaster rose, at last, from his chair and stepped up to the podium to deliver the judges' decision.

"Good evening everybody, I trust you are all enjoying your slightly delayed feast and I shall endeavour to keep you from your food for as short a time as possible."

Albus Dumbledore surveyed his little kingdom from the front of the impresive great hall, taking in the various looks of anticipation and excitement from most, guarded suspicion from the black robed girls and annoyance from the youngest Weasley boy at being kept from his meal. He was frankly expecting not a small amount of dissent for the decision to give minimum points for the Evans girl's spectacularly bloody win over the Bulgarian but he had had to compromise for the sake of the tournament as a whole. As always he would deal with the fallout from the extremely vocal and partisan Hogwarts faithful with his usual deflection and soft, deceptively soft, humour if it reached that stage. Girding himself for the battle ahead Dumbledore raised his wand to cast the sonorus spell on himself and began to speak again.

"The points awarded in the round robin duelling event are as follows ... "

"Evans-Black; 10 points win, 10 points style versus Delacour; 5 points style.

Diggory; 15 points style versus Krum; 10 points win, 5 points style.

Krum; 10 points win, 10 points style versus Delacour; 15 points style.

Diggory; 15 points style versus Evans-Black; 10 points win, 10 points style.

Delacour; 10 points win, 5 points style versus Diggory; 5 points style.

Evans-Black; 10 points win versus Krum; 0 points."

"You will notice that in the last match Mister Krum and Miss Evans-Black were both given the minimum amount of points availlable due to the ... _unfortunate_ circumstances in which their duel concluded. It was decided between the judges that this was the fairest way to resolve this matter."

Ignoring the fully expected rumbling and grumbling that this last announcement prompted from his own students the headmaster ploughed on ahead regardless.

"Which makes our running totals for the four champions; Miss Delacour of Beaubaxtons 74, Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts 77, Viktor Krum of Durmstrang 79, and now leaping from last place to leading the pack after the excitement of the duelling round is Miss Evans-Black on 81." He paused to allow the applause and some enthusiastic whooping from the more energetic students to die down. "I hope that you will all join me in offering congratulations to all of our most worthy champions and wishing them good luck in the next task."

At least in this respect the arch manipulator was being sincere. The Tri-wizard Tournament was proving to be a magnificent success due in no small part to the somewhat overly enthusiastic participation of the infamous 'girl-who-lived'. She may very well be a dark witch, a disgusting pervert and probably a borderline psychopath too, but she was also a huge draw for the revolting sheep of the wizarding general public and it made him look (rightly) brilliant for bringing it here. Just look at the crowds of people that had descended on the castle to watch her decimate the other champions in the duelling task at the weekend. Although her profile in the press may have had something to do with that. And therein lay the fly in the potion.

The fourth estate had gone 'girl-who-lived' crazy after the first task and Evans was being held up as the brightly shining example of female strength and power in their male dominated world. It helped, of course, that she was stunningly beautiful and incredibly photogenic. Added to her unconventional relationship with the Bones heiress, her penchant for the use of extreme, if somewhat justifyable, violence at the drop of a hat and the air of mystery that her muteness gave her and it was no wonder that the press adored her. Love her or loathe her Cassandra Evans-Black sold a _lot_ of newspapers. Which was a problem. Although, if handled correctly, he supposed that problem could be turned into an opportunity.

Since Sirius' release (which he was still pissed about, honestly) and her ascension to the position of primary heiress to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black it seemed that the Evans brat could do no wrong in the eyes of the majority of the press. In the space of half a year she had gone from being an obscure and slightly abstract mythical figure, ignored and derided by many to a desireable bachelorette to all around heroine and the poster girl for witches rights. The tattoos, the violence, the fact that she had seduced and corrupted the head of the DMLE's niece, even the Welsh thing, none of it had affected her popularity in the slightest. If anything the public were embracing her all the more for her 'free spirited' nature and 'progressive' views as well as for her magical prowess. It was bloody annoying considering Dumbledore had set up this entire tournament for the solitary purpose of ridiculing and ostracising her only for the damned girl to become the dangerous darling of Wizarding Britain.

She had become a true blue heroine. And this was how he would take advantage of her elevated new status. By his taking bloody vengence on the terrible Dark Lord Voldemort, after he had arranged for the surprisingly easily manipulated Tom to kill her of course, would make him a legend. The country would prostrate itself before him as their all powerful saviour. He just had to get rid of a few wrinkles in his way. Wrinkles that included Sirius Black and Amelia Bones. The two of them would present a considerably thorny problem but nothing was insurmountable when you were blessed with a mind like the magnificent Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard alive.

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The meeting at Riddle estate in Little Hangleton was well attended. This may have been a consequence of his ill tempered crucio sessions on the long suffering Death Eaters who had stupidly questioned his actions in regard to the 'girl-who-lived' and their fervent wish not to have them continue. It occured to most of the Dark Lord's followers that the best way to avoid this was to be conspicuously seen but to stay very, very quiet. Of course that didn't help at all if he singled you out for your opinion on any given matter.

"Crouch, you've been the one most in contact with the dratted girl, tell us what are your observations of her."

This was the moment that the Death Eater had been dreading, the moment that he was supposed to give his frank and honest report on the girl's abilities. It was the 'frank an honest' part that was troubling him, truth be told, as he he seen the twitching and incontinent mess that was Lucius Malfoy immediately after the blonde man's 'conversation' with their Lord last month. That somewhat disturbing memory was making him rather more reticent about giving out his opinion on any matters involving the young Black heiress. Barty Junior decided that he was just going to have to grit his teeth, give the Dark Lord the facts as he saw them and take whatever punishment came his way.

"I could sugar coat it for you My Lord but I understand that you _need_ the facts if you are to plan effectively. She is physically strong, magically strong and tactically strong, and then of course, in addition to all of that, there is her use of elemental magics."

Voldemort gave Barty a calculating and sightly impressed look after this well reasoned statement and gestured impatiently for him to continue as he paused to gather his thoughts.

"The girl has a good understanding and even some control over dark curses, when I demonstrated the imperius on her in class she managed to warp and adapt it to suit her own purposes. This combined with her unique gift with the four base, natural elements makes her a dangerous opponent for us. She can also take a hit. As Mister Krum discovered to his cost."

A grim smile appeared on the infants face transforming it into a terrifying mask that parodied a child's innocent humour in the creepiest way imaginable. The high pitched cackle that he emitted at this point didn't really help that image either and Crouch gave an involuntary shudder.

"Yes that was _most_ entertaining. I hear the young man is going to be horribly scarred for the rest of his miserable life."

"Perhaps, My Lord, he might be ... _encouraged_ to undertake a little retribution when he is fully recovered. I'm sure that we could come up with some suitable targets that would be less of a threat to him but still cause Evans a great deal of distress at their injury. Or maybe worse?"

The smile was back and this time every Death Eater in the room shuddered along with Crouch as the Dark Lord's insane red eyes swept across them to eventually land on a rather nervous Lucius Malfoy. Voldemort was actually pretty surprised, but still pleased, that young Crouch had done such a good job at Hogwarts. He remembered him from the old days as a not terribly bright young man, filled with nothing more useful than the exhuberance of youth and had hesitated about giving him the honour of being his eyes and ears at the tournament. Unfortunately he was the only one availlable with the necessary skill set who wouldn't be noticed as missing for that length of time so he had little choice in the end. It wasn't often that he was pleased to be proven wrong, in fact it usually set him off into a powerful rage, but in this case it was quite a welcome surprise. Young Mister Crouch had displayed a rare talent for obeying his orders to the letter as well as for his devious and underhanded behaviour and for that he deserved a treat.

"You see Lucius this is why he is the spy and you are the errand boy. You have done well Bartemious, it will be remembered and you shall receive a reward when I am restored to my full capacity. Have a think about what you would like and if it is in my power to grant your wish, I shall."

Barty was now both confused and exceedingly bloody nervous. He, like the other Death Eaters, was not used to being praised for his victories. Bullied, victimised and crucio-ed for his failures definitely, but lauded for the successful completion of a task? No, never that. This new version of Voldemort was showing a capability for reasonable behaviour that he had certainly not possessed in his previous incarnation and frankly it scared him infinitely more than the old tyrant did. Now he had hope of receiving both verbal and physcal plaudits for a job well done. Now he actually had something to lose. He tried to keep his mind clear of the often recurring thought that he would be much better off serving the 'girl-who-lived' and the House of Black in case the Volde-baby was scanning his mind. Unfortunately for his future health and well being, he wasn't quick enough.

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There was a great deal of noise in the small common room in Psycho Freak tower where the girls of the fifth house were having a meeting called by the sometimes scary red headed fourth year, Susan Bones. Since this was a strictly house members only gathering there were no visitors or staff members present, not even their faculty head. This was because they had business to discuss relating to their founding member and it was not for the ears of outsiders. This was family business and Susan realised that that was just what these nine girls had very quickly become to each other. Family.

"We have a problem." She looked at each of her house mates seriously before continuing. "Recently it seems that more and more people outside of our group here have been learning sign language. Now while it makes communicating with Cassie more simple since they don't have to wait for one of us to translate for her, it removes the advantage of us having our own ready made secret code if we want to discuss something private."

 **So what do we do about it.**

"I am open to suggestions." The red head noticed the gleam that lit her girlfiend's eye at this statement and pointing straight at her cut the black haired girl off before she could even get her hands up to reply. "Don't even _think_ about making some lewd comment Cassandra." She muttered before adding quietly. "Saucy witch."

Unfortunately it was Luna Lovegood who jumped in with the first few possible solutions (?) to their dilema.

"Ooh we should use Quibbler code, like wrackspurts for the teachers and bilbering humdingers for those nasty, furry Buggerarian boys."

"Um, okay first off I think you meant Bul .. garian not Bugger ... arian and second I'm pretty sure that's not going to work Lulu."

"Nargles?"

"No."

"Boooring!"

Susan was trying very hard not to smile at the pouting, skinny, blonde lunatic who was being commiserated with by her long suffering Ginger best friend and almost succeeding.

"We could sign in Welsh, that would make it much more difficult for anyone outside to understand us." Little Cerys Williams shyly put her oar in.

 **Well yes, I suppose so but only you and I can do that fluently. I mean, sure, Suzie's picked up a few phrases but I'm not sure how useful; 'Stick your naughty tongue in my arse you sexy slut' is going to be in everyday conversation.**

There was a good few seconds of stunned silence before the subtle glances and the sniggers, all directed at the suddenly, extremely red faced Susan Bones broke out. She sent her girlfriend a very annoyed look for embarrassing her while she was in full on command mode, although to be fair the decline into their habitual anarchic stupidity had begun when Luna had started talking. As per usual. Still that was no reason for her to let Cassie get away with it.

"Yes, thank-you _Cassandra,_ I'll deal with you later."

Even Shortcake knew that tone of voice meant trouble for his mistress and he bravely retreated upstairs to play with Treacle the first years' little kitten. He was a very small and annoying feline but at least he listened and it kept them both out of the path of Mistress Red.

At the end of an hour filled with increasingly wild and ridiculous arguments it was decided that the Freaks would all be learning to speak and sign Welsh as this was the least insane idea submitted. Hermione was despatched to the owlery with a list of textbooks and a Gringotts money order at which instruction she leapt into action only pausing long enough to drag along Charli by the hand. They were still under instructions to go everywhere in at least pairs even though the main reason for that precaution, Viktor Krum, was still undergoing intensive treatment at St. Mungo's. However, not even the firsties believed that it was anything other than an excuse for some serious al-fresco shagging for the two former Grffindors. Cassie and Cerys smirked knowingly at one another before finding a corner so that they could draw up some lesson plans for the girls.

The potions lab had soon become their unofficial language studio and it was here in the bowells of the ancient castle that Cerys put her house mates and some specially invited guests through their paces. Young Miss Williams, it turned out, was a terrifyingly harsh taskmaster when it came to the serious business of teaching others how to speak her and Cassie's native tongue. Although they didn't, strictly speaking, have to actually speak the ancient and lyrical language they just had to be able to sign in it. However, knowing how much their 'dark angel' loved to hear the soft, musical tones of her homeland all of them had long ago decided that they were going to be doing this properly. If a thing was worth doing then it was worth doing well and the almost orgasmic look of pleasure that Cassie favoured anyone with when they spoke to her in Welsh was all the motivation that any of them really needed.

Charli's grasp of Gaellic and Hermione's almost eidetic memory helped them out immensely with their new field of study and they were quickly able to, not only grasp it themselves, but also help along the slower learners. Which meant that they were currently spending a lot of their time with Juliette, who despite being called Jones was about as Welsh as taramasalata, and Gabrielle Delacour. The little French veela was a special exception to the Psycho Freak only rule because Cerys wanted her there and no-one could bring themselves to deny her after she had started to tear up when putting the request. Besides Gabby was a total cutie and Cerys was far from the only one who was a little bit in love with her.

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Twelve Grimmuald Place had undergone a lot of change in the last couple of weeks. This was due to the increasingly frequent presence in the old mansion of the head of the Noble House of Bones. She may have also been the head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement, a position that required her to be a good deal harder and more macho than her male colleagues, but Amelia was still a woman at heart and she did like her surroundings to be comfortable and, surprisingly, pretty. It was a fresher and considerably more floral atmosphere that now permeated the building, blowing away the traces of that weird, funky bachelor pad smell which Sirius, Remus and Kreacher had been living in since Cassie had gone back to school. She and the ancient elf had spent a fun few weeks bonding over operation 'Girlify the House of Black'. Between them they had managed to subtly introduce into the place lighter curtains, coloured wallpapers, flower vases and even the occasional pot pourri, all without the two middle aged adolescents noticing that anything was amiss.

Lounging in bed in Sirius' bedroom (which she had been surprised to learn was _not_ the master suite) Amelia allowed a rare smile to grace her lips as she gazed at the black diamond engagement ring sparkling prettily on her left ring finger. She and Sirius had been engaged in a sexual relationship, or 'shagging like bunnies' as her erstwhile lover chose to refer to it, since just after the girls had gone off back to Hogwarts last September and she thought that he had been more than happy with the status quo. To say that she was surprised when he had shattered that status quo by proposing to her over dinner the previous evening would be an understatement of simply epic proportions. The fact that she had said yes before the words were even fully out of his mouth had shocked her even more so.

Amelia Bones was not someone who leaped before they looked. She liked to think through all the possible pros and cons to any given decision before committing herself to it and especially one that would have such a huge effect on her personal and professional life as marrying into the traditionally dark House of Black. It was why her almost instantaneous acceptance of the, admittedly rather sweet and romantic, proposal had shaken her so badly. She glanced across at the ridiculously handsome man propped up in bed next to her reading, of all things, a copy of Teen Witch Weekly and smiled ruefully while shaking her head. It _had_ to be love. There was just no other explanation as to why she would have taken such leave of her senses that she would have said yes to marrying the grinning, idiot man-child beside her. She leaned over him to retrieve her monocle, fixed it in place and looked over at the article that was capturing his attention so effectively. Of course it was a piece about his beloved daughter. Which raised an important question in her mind.

"So how do you think the girls will take the news?"

"Well your niece clearly thinks I'm awesome, clever young woman that one, and believe it or not, Cassie is a bit of a fan of yours. I've actually wondered if she might have something of a crush on you. Of course that's probablly not the case since she gets to bang her own hot little red head every night ..." finally seeming to realise who he was talking to and her relation to the afore mentioned 'hot little red head' he stopped speaking abruptly. "Not that they do that obviously ... not that I'd know about it if they were ... or would have encouraged them in those kinds of activities in any way whatsoever." The mounting panic at the thought of being 'cut off' was evident in his voice.

"Stop digging Siri' dear." Amelia patted her new fiancee on the arm deciding to let him off the hook on this one. "It's not as if I didn't know that the pair of you are an apalling influence on my family." She gestured to herself lying naked in his bed as an obvious and prime example of this incontravertible fact before continuing. "What I can't quite work out is if she's just really unlucky with the things that happen to her or whether she's actually an evil genius intent on taking over the world and currently only disguised as a school girl. Not that it matters really I suppose. Susan loves her and that's good enough for me."

"Yeah, she's _special_ all right."

Sirius had clearly decided that it was safe to re-enter the conversation at this point. It helped that it invoved his absolute, all time favourite subject and he spent the next ten minutes or so expounding on the unmatched and awesome beauty and brilliance of his adopted daughter, although he very generously included Susan in his wide ranging ramble. She lay her head against his shoulder, pretended to listen, nodding and murmering her agreement in all the right places while reading the article still balanced on Sirius' lap. The magazine was very ... _enthusiastic_ in it's praise of the young woman who was due to become her step - adopted daughter in the very near future, seeming to paint her as a mixture of Joan d'Arc and Morgana Le Fay, tricked and betrayed into a deadly contest only to emerge as a great heroine fighting for the rights of all witches. Knowing Cassie's motivations for pretty much everything that she did were more to do with her and her family's own perceived survival needs than for any altruistic reasons Amelia thought that this was all complete tosh. Well meaning, no doubt, but tosh all the same.

If she was being honest with herself Amelia was quite looking forward to being able to influence the wild young witch that had captured her niece's heart as completely as Sirius had hers. There was nothing wrong with Cassie per se it was just that Amelia thought that she would benefit from some feminine guidance especially as she was now at the age and social station that she would be getting invited to balls and the like. The sharks that swam in the upper echelons of Wizarding high society would tear the poor girl to pieces if she didn't have at least a rudimentary understanding of the rules of etiquette that they all still clung to. Personally she hated of all the tedious shit that she had to crawl through in order to navigate the choppy politcal waters of her job and she suspected that she would find a kindred spirit in her new daughter.

It was that way of referring to her that was going to make the relationship between Susan and Cassie complicated given the fact that they would now be linked by the marriage of their respective guardians. At least they weren't genetically related to each other. Not that that seemed to stop some of the pure blood families she had grown up with. It was one of the main reasons why she was all for the influx muggle-borns into their world to freshen up the old blood lines and help to stem the ever increasing flow of squibs being born to the ancient houses. Unknowingly Amelia, in an action that she would never have believed possible in a million years, had agreed with Walburga Black that Cassie was the future of the ancient House. And just maybe their entire civilisation.

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The closer it came to the third task the more anxious Cassie became. She was worried for her girlfriend, the other hostages and herself as well if she were being honest. For Suzie and the others as 'the bait' the danger was clear and immediate, while for Cassie, her peril lay mainly in the fact that if a single, solitary hair on the head's of any of the innocents in this task was harmed she would go totally ape-shit. She was already wound up as tight as a drum over this ridiculous task. Not for the danger to herself so much, which she was well used to by now, but for the consequences if the champions failed to reach their hostages in the alotted time. The anger that had been brewing over this issue was at breaking point and there would be a terrible reckoning should one of them (and she didn't care which one at this point) suffer an injury.

Injury would be punished with injury. Death would be met with death. Anyone who was involved in the 'organisation' of this nightmare, anyone who profitted from it, anyone who opened their eyes at her. She would slaughter them all and not regret a single moment of it.

Cassie's darkening mood did not go un-noticed by her friends and they spent an enormous amount of time and energy trying to lift her spirits or even just to get her to smile occasionally. Even their rapid strides in the Welsh language were being met with less and less enthusiasm as she began to make professor Snape look like a happy go lucky kind of a guy. Susan Bones was, of course, particularly attentive to her increasingly moody and withdrawn girlfriend and had embarked on an inspired strategy of using a quite staggering amount of sex to lighten the other girl's, wholly imagined, burden. She had taken possession of Cassie's parselmouth sex book and they had been slowly and methodically making their way through it with a work ethic that could only be demonstrated by teenagers experimenting with the carnal arts.

The Bones heiress had learned that her lover was as quick a study in this as she was in her magical training and in turn Cassie had learned that Suzie had a massive amount of stamina (the girl could go for literally hours) and also that she was kind of a pervert. Their weekend long enactment of the contorsions on page sixty nine had left her pale and trembling well into the next week's lessons, leading to several of her professors suggesting that she visit the infirmary for treatment. The unflappable and totally recovered Suzie had just smirked at that and polished her nails on her jumper with a great deal of satisfaction. On catching sight of this display Cassie decided that her girlfriend was not just a pervert but kind of a bitch as well.

Also among the people attempting to prevent the dangerous young witch from performing a pre-emptive round of dismemberment on the Tri-Wizard Tournament's judging panel was her fellow champion and all around good egg, Cedric Diggory. More often than not he and Katie could be found studying with, tutoring or just generally hanging out with the black robed Psycho Freaks in the library or in their tower. Although as the appointed time for the third task grew closer the two Hogwart's champions became more and more obsessed with planning their strategy for the great Black Lake rescue mission.

They had discussed the possibility of bringing Fleur and the recently returned Viktor in on their plans. Well Cedric had discussed it while Cassie adamantly vetoed any chance of working with the hateful Bulgarian butt-monkey that had tried to kill, or at least seriously injure, her in the previous task. She wasn't averse to the idea of teaming up with the elder Delacour, especially since her little sister was rapidly becoming one of 'her girls' but before an approach could be successfully accomplished the cruel mistress that was time stepped in and stole their chance.

On a wet and windy Friday lunchtime in mid February a despondent group of young people gathered at the Psycho Freak House dinner table and stared at each other disconsolately. Neither Susan nor Katie nor Gabrielle were to be found anywhere in the castle or the grounds (and they had looked _very_ hard and _very_ aggressively) and there was only one conclusion that could be drawn. Cedric reached down and squeezed Cassie's hand, telling her it would all be okay and trying to imbue her with a confidence that he didn't feel himself. Their time was up and the race of their lives was about to begin.

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 **There may be a few mistakes in this as I was sort of pounding along and once I got going I really didn't want to stop again until it was done. If you find any just let me know and I'll edit them out later.**

 **So next chapter up we have the third task and the Hostage Rescue team of Cassie and Cedric spring into action to save their beloveds from the murky depths of the Black lake. What with Viktor and Fleur out for revenge as well it should be a lot of fun.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	35. Chapter 35

**It all got a bit dark towards the end of the last chapter and things are not going to get much lighter in this one. Cassie is upset and emotional and just generally really pissed about the whole hostage situation. This does not make for a happy jolly time. On the up side it does mean that someone is probably in for a serious spanking.**

 **After my issues with the last few chapters, this one just flowed like an absolute dream. Which was a relief. Hopefully we're back up to speed now.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **35\. Rescue Me.**

The next morning the February skies were still heavy and overcast and a fine drizzle coated everyone and everything with a glistening sheen. A more spiritually minded person might have thought that the weather was sympathetically attempting to match the mood of main participants in the drama that was about to be played out on the watery stage here today. Sirius Black, however, knew better. He had spent a rather considerable amount of time with his heiress this morning and if anything it should have been raining brimstone and even then it still wouldn't have gotten close to how enraged the volatile teenager was right now. As much as he knew it was wrong to be encouraging her, the grey eyed man was inordinately proud of how Cassie was acting. In a lot of ways she reminded him of his insane cousin Bellatrix, who had always secretly impressed him with her fierce loyalty to those she considered her family, only more loving, better focused and less .. well, you know ... batcrap crazy. And not a Death Eater obviously. Other than that they were like peas in a pod. Two extremely violent peas in padded pod with very long sleeves that secured behind your back maybe, but still.

While Sirius, Lord Black was pondering these thoughts his adopted daughter was prowling the entrance hall of Hogwarts castle, snarling and huffing as Hermione and her sister chased around after her trying to finish off the final touches to her warpaint. No-one said a word about the odd behaviour that Cassie was exhibiting today. They all knew that her mind was busy with running over and over, for the umpteenth time, her plan of action for the rescue of her girlfriend and the rest of those unfortunate enough to be scooped up and used by the organisers of this damned fool tournament. That list, they were aware, included the girlfriends of her friend Cedric and her house mate, poor little Cerys who was beside herself with worry. Noticing her compatriot's distress and having been been finally released from the annoying but tender ministrations of her fellow fourth years Cassie moved quickly to gather up the younger girl in her arms and stroke her hair. Not wishing to mess up her painted face Cerys bit back the threatening tears and leaned into the other girl, holding her hand in a death grip as the eight of them made their final preparations for their march to the Black lake.

There was much fidgeting as the nervous excitement sprang up and took hold of the large and noisy crowd. Sirius and Amelia felt the tension as the time ticked away, concerned that if Cassie didn't come soon then she would be too late, although the thought that she would carelessly put Susan in danger like that was clearly ridiculous and made them worry slightly less. The rest of the crowd weren't to know that though and they were starting to get restless. Everyone was on tenter hooks waiting for the fourth champion to arrive. Finally, at the last possible moment before a forfeiture was declared and to a hugely loud soundtrack supplied by the ever helpful, inventive and mischievous Weasley Twins, Cassandra Evans-Black made her entrance.

A bell tolled loudly, echoing across the wide expanse of grass that separated the castle from lake and all eyes turned to see eight figures, clad in black hooded cloaks, fanned out in a vee formation, striding purposefully towards them. As the coarse, noisy opening strains of AC/DC's Hells Bells assaulted the ears of the dignitaries and the rabble alike, two enormous banners unfurled themselves and streamed behind the grim faced witches, proudly displaying the Welsh dragon alongside the Psycho Freak's own basilisk flag.

 _I'm a rolling thunder, a pouring rain_

 _I'm comin' on like a hurricane_

 _My lightning's flashing across the sky_

 _You're only young but you're gonna die_

 _I won't take no prisoners, won't spare no lives_

Even if she had chosen it herself this song could not be any creepier. Watching the faces of the tournament judging panel getting paler and more sick looking with every word screamed Sirius decided that he needed to get Ginny's brothers a _really_ good thank-you gift for helping to create this piece of dark theatre.

 _Nobody's putting up a fight_

 _I got my bell, I'm gonna take you to hell_

 _I'm gonna get you, Satan get you_

Barty Junior was desperately trying not to start cackling and dancing along with the rowdy group of fourth and fifth year Slytherins that he had somehow found him self in amongst. There was Gus Goyle's boy singing along mightily with young Nott, even the usually quiet and reserved Daphne Greengrass had her hands in the air like she just didn't care. This song just seemed to do things to those with darker leanings and all animosity to the 'girl-who-lived' went right out of the window with this kind of entrance. The Death Eater in disguise looked around to see similar scenes playing out all through the huge and obviously very partisan crowd.

 _Hell's bells Yeah, hell's bells You got me ringing hell's bells_

 _My temperature's high, hell's bells_

When the girls came closer their deathmask face paint started to become visible, making them appear even more disturbing than they already did and they 'favoured' the tournament judging panel with an octect of identical, hard eyed stares. The entire house was stating in no uncertain terms that _nobody_ messed with their family and walked away without consequences. The crowd _loved_ it, the younger ones especially cheering on the display of teenaged disrespect and ill temper while their parents and teachers pretented to tutt and frown at their mis-behaviour as they egged them on internally. Sirius, on the other hand, was all but bouncing up and down with excitement as his beautiful princess covered the ground with purpose. Not that you could call her exactly beautiful at the moment. He didn't know what those superimposed skulls did to the people that she actually meant to intimidate but they scared the crap out of him.

The eight young women didn't make any move to acknowledge the crowd or change their facial expressions at all, choosing to ignore everything and everyone except the tournament organisers who they continued to hold rigid with their furious glares. And the stadium erupted. They sensed that something very special was going to happen here today and with the mood that the 'girl-who-lived' was clearly in it was bound to be brutal and bloody. This was what they were here for. It didn't matter to most of them the circumstances that led to the Freaks display or the reasons behind Cassie's anger, although by the time this day was over the whole country would be aware of these issues.

As they reached the dock where the other champions waited, each of them stepped up in turn and hugged Cassie, giving her a kiss on the cheek for luck before climbing the steep, quidditch style stands to seat themselves with the Black family. From their vantage point they were all seated and sorted out in time to see their still grim faced leader greet Cedric with a warm hug and a handshake, nod politely to Fleur and totally ignore the scowling Viktor. Although clearly attempting to put a brave face on it was noticed that the Bulgarian began to nervously inch away from the young woman who had put him in the hospital for a fortnight and left hiim with some horrific scars and a prosthetic hand. The fact that she had a skull painted on her face, making her look even more scary than normal probably wasn't helping his nerves either.

Albus Dumbledore cast his ampliication spell and addressed the large and very partisan crowd before they got too distracted by the French and Bulgarian champions' bathing suits. He was interested to note that Diggory and the 'girl-who-lived' were in normal clothing. Sort of. The Hufflepuff's attire was pretty normal, if a touch ... _muggle_ , with trousers, tough looking boots and an old and quite well worn leather bomber jacket but Evans was displaying herself in that disgustingly revealing skintght armour again. Damned dyke slut. Oh well, back to business.

"Welcome, welcome friends and neighbours to the third task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament." The crowd was confused by the actions of the champions and the applause was a little muted. The headmaster did not let that phase him in the least and continued on in his usual cheery tone. "Each of our champions has had something very dear to them taken and hidden somewhere under the Black lake and they have only one hour from the sound of the cannon in which to retrieve it."

The growl from Amelia Bones as she realised just what, or who, was missing was loud enough to startle more than a few of the people around her.

"I'm going to have that old fools balls on a fucking stick."

She had very appreciative audience for this statement and most of the rest of Dumbledore's speech was lost in the murmers and mutters of disbelief at the downright stupity of the tournament organising committee. They had kidnapped minors and knowingly placed them in danger, one of whom was the niece of the head of the DMLE. For a contest. How bloody stupid were these people. There was no more time for contemplation, however. They were off.

The cannon sounded and Fleur Delacour was off like a shot, sprinting down the dock and diving straight into the freezing water, followed a moment later by Viktor who was, impressively enough, already transfiguring his upper half into a shark as he ran. This prompted a smattering of grudging applause from certain sections of the crowd but they mostly remained quiet as Cedric and Cassie moved in the opposite direction through the light, rising mist to stand on the bank at the edge of the lake. The two of them stopped and looked at each other seriously.

"Ready then Cass?"

The question from the blonde Hufflepuff received a short, sharp nod of assent and a double pat on the cheek from his fellow champion in response. Cedric smiled down at the short girl, took Cassie by the hand and they walked down the short, shale beach and into the water together. It wasn't the panicked rush of Fleur or the grandstanding dive of the Bulgarian, they simply looked as if they were two close friends out for a stroll, with purpose perhaps, but still unhurried and unflustered. There was no change in their demeanour even as the small, lapping waves on the large body of water closed over their heads and they disappeared from view, the cheering of the crowd fading as they moved forward.

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Panic was a sensation that Susan Bones really wasn't used to feeling too often but here and now that was just precisely what she was experiencing. Raw and unadulterated panic. With eyes wide she turned her head, the movements strangely slow and awkward against the resistance of the cold clear water, and looked about her into three other female faces that reflected exactly her own sense of rising distress. The four champions' hostages were all bound and tethered to the lake floor and, most disturbingly, they were all wide awake. Something had clearly gone spectacularly badly wrong with whatever dumbass plan the morons organising this fiasco had come up with. Susan got the feeling that they could all be in serious trouble here.

That she knew this was coming was of absolutely no comfort to Susan whatsoever and did nothing to relieve her stress levels at being stunned and abducted. The last thing she remembered was being called out of Charms class and then ... nothing. Before she woke up under water with a bubble head charm over her that is. It was this fact that was concerning her right now, if whoever had cast her breathing charm had done as half arsed a job as they clearly had on her stunner then 'trouble' did not begin to describe her situation. She glanced over to the others to see that all of them were obviously having similar thoughts to her and none of them were taking it too well. Seeing a thoroughly frightened Gabby Delacour to her left, Susan smiled and nodded in assurance to her hoping to convey that everything would be alright. The look that she gave Katie was a lot more honest and she saw much of her own panic reflected in the Gryffindor's eyes. The circling mermen with their tridents and crossbows just beyond her view didn't exactly help that either.

Just then Susan felt a warm tingling sensation on the hollow of her throat and her panic came rocketing back in full force as she thought of all the nasty, slimy, creepy creatures that could be causing it. Oh Merlin this day could just _not_ get any worse. Not wanting to look down she got Katie's attention with some frantic head wagging and indicated with some sharp, jerky nods what she wanted help with. The other girl's reaction was interesting to say the least. Not the fear or disgust that she had been expecting (and dreading) but a kind of weird fascination which she transmitted to Susan with bulging eyes and an excited nodding. Sort of trusting Katie but steeling herself in case of something awful, Susan let out a shaky breath, dropped her chin and focused her warm brown eyes on her own upper chest. Oh for fuck's sake. Really?

Cassandra Marguerite Evans-Black. That sneaky little bitch. Her girfriend had somehow managed to slip an undetectable tracking charm on to her necklace. Her gorgeous, ruby necklace that Cassie had given her at Christmas before the Yule Ball and asked her to always wear so that a piece of her would always be with Susan. The red head remembered thinking that it had been such a sweet and romantic thing to do when all she had actually been wanting to do was keep tabs on her, which was just weird and stalkerish. But then this was Cassie she was talking about so weird and creepy was kind of par for the course for her and quite honestly it was _sort_ of romantic, she supposed. And it wasn't like she could exactly complain about it at the moment as the glowing and pulsing piece of jewelry was leading her strange, stalker girlfrend straight to her with (she hoped) the minimum of fuss.

Despite the possible severity of the consequences of this perilous situation Katie Bell couldn't help but have a small, nervous giggle at the expressions that were currently chasing each other across the red head's face. She saw confusion, surprise, anger, frustration, resignation and finally humour in her eyes. It was a full house of emotions for Susie B. and once again she thanked Merlin that she had a relatively normal, if not terribly bright, boyfriend.

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Cassie felt the disturbance in the water long before the spell reached her. It was one of the main advantages of her elemental training that she could sense any break in the natural patterns and rythms of the world around her. This applied to all four of the base elements and it made her appear to be somewhat prescient in her abiity to dodge all but the most blindingly fast or unexpected attacks. But it took a lot of practice and a lot of concentration. After Krum had punched a hole in her side, leaving a knotted and unattractive scar to add to her collection, she had vowed to never be taken by surprise like that again and had been trying to concentrate much harder on 'feeling' the environment about her.

At the first tingle of her early warning alarm, Cassie tugged hard on Cedric's hand and pirouetted, swinging them and their bubble back and around to the left. The lake bed where they would have walked before her surprising maneuvre exploded a couple of seconds later with the impact from a slow moving reducto and they looked up to find the source. They caught nothing more than a semi shark shaped shadow circling above them and rolled their eyes at each other. Viktor. Apparently he was still a bit upset about the duelling round and his subsequent extended visit to the hospital for magical maladies. They would have to keep a weather eye open for him but at the moment it seemed like he had moved on and so must they. Places to go, people to see.

Something else, however, _had_ taken notice of her defence and they began to gather at the edge of the reed bed on their right, bright red eyes gazing hungrily at the two magicals in the shimmering bubble. Grindylows. Nasty little buggers with sharp teeth and talons and a temper that rivalled Cassie's own. They really didn't need a run in with them right now. Dropping Cedric's hand the green eyed witch in the dragon hide armour flexed her fingers and readied herself for action. Then, just as quickly, she relaxed again.

As suddenly as they had gathered the little creatures were gone, moving off to Cassie and Cedric's right at a startling speed. She didn't know whether the vicious little monsters had decided that they were too much of a threat or if they had just found an easier target and frankly, she didn't much care. They were gone and that was enough. Cassie had more important business today and nothing was going to distract her from their rescue mission. Watching the last of the grindylows race off to whatever was happening on their right Cedric turned back in time to see his short friend consulting an old fashioned, gold pocket watch before checking her red tinged and vibrating wand once more.

"How are we doing little Cass. Alright?"

His voice sounded strange, echoing in his own ears inside their conjured bubble and he briefly envied the strange black haired girl next to him her inability to talk and so not hear how weird it sounded reverberating back on herself in here. Okay he heard it that time. The reason other people called him stupid that was. Even Katie had been known to do it when he just blurted out whatever random thoughts popped into his head. Thank Merlin he hadn't said it out loud. The thought of his girlfriend seemed to give him a mental slap for drifting off into his own head again and brought him forcefully back to why he was here. Katie. He was here for Katie.

"Umm. Sorry. Zoned out. How were we doing?"

Thankfully she didn't look at him, just angled the watch face towards him so that he could read it.

"Ten minutes gone. Do you know how much further it is?"

Cassie slipped the watch into her back pocket, held up her now free hand with the four fingers and thumb splayed.

"Five."

The splayed hand closed into a fist and pumped twice fast.

"Hundred."

She nodded and started moving forward again while he stood still to work out their position. Ten minutes gone and they were half way there. They were making good progress. Great progress really, but then that's what happened when you had a solid plan, formulated by the brightest mind at the school and were partnered up with a scarilly powerful and super committed witch. Cedric thanked his lucky stars that he had at least had the good sense to befriend this extraordinary young woman who was going to help him get his girlfriend back. She tugged impatiently at his sleeve and they were off again. Team 'C.C. Hogwarts' to the rescue.

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Finally, after what felt like many hours from her perspective, but was actually only twenty four minutes, Susan spied two figures emerging from the gloom and moving agonisingly slowly towards her and she felt the relief flooding her whole body as she recognised the lithe form of her girlfriend. She and Cedric were weirdly distorted behind some kind of barrier and she was both happy to see that they were dry and at the same time a bit disappointed that she didn't get to see Cassie in a bikini. Soon enough though they were here right in front of the four bound and tethered girls and she smiled in relief as the Black heiress wasted no time in going ito a complicated series of motions with her wand, making the water swirl and retreat from around them.

Cedric took an involuntary deep breath and held it as he let the bubble dissapate when he felt the pressure against it's surface start to fall off, not quite trusting in Cassie's elemental skills to keep them safe. It didn't matter how many times he had seen her do incredible feats of elemental magic, something at the back of his mind just refused to believe that it was actually possible. So he closed his eyes, held his breath and waited for the icy chill of the water to engulf him. Of course it never did. Opening one eye he saw the fourth year witch looking at him with more than a touch of amusement, wand held in her left hand now pointed at the floor, right hand on hip and a smirk on her face. She grinned and shook her head slowly at him to which he replied with a chagrined look and a sheepish grin of his own as he peered around at the thirty foot wide tube of air that had appeared in the lake around them and the captives.

"Yeah, yeah, okay. I get it. I should have more faith in you. Please forgive me oh Queen of awesome." He genuflected to her magnificence.

Cassie struck a superhero pose, apparently quite pleased with her new title and the crowd watching on the big screens that had been conjured so that they could follow the action, howled and hooted with laughter, showing their approval. Remus Lupin caught his best friend's expression of glee at his daughter's new moniker, slapped his own forehead and shared a look with Amelia. Merlin the two of them were going to be utterly insufferable after this.

Back on the lake bed meanwhile, Cassie and Cedric were untying the four hostages. Well Cedric was untying them, Cassie simply pulled out her dagger and started slicing away their bonds. Although Suzie and Gabby were okay with this, because they trusted the insanely scary looking, black haired witch, the other Beaubaxtons hostage (she wanted to say Murky Days? hmmm didn't sound quite right did it) was having a bit of a panic attack at her approach. Cedric rolled his eyes and went to release, sort out and calm down the exciteable French girl which resulted in her latching onto him like a limpet, trying to keep the maximum amount of distance between herself and the creepy, green eyed witch.

Despite her earlier apprehension. Okay time to be reallistic. Despite her earlier _panic,_ Susan Bones had a tired, but happy, smile on her face right at this moment as she watched her brilliant girlfriend trying to be nice to someone who completely misinterpreted her actions. Again. It was good that Cassie had a smile on her own face though, however difficult it was to see beneath the scary face paint, as it meant that she at least had a chance of keeping her awe inspiring temper in check once they all made it safely out of here.

Once again Cassie felt more than heard the threat but this time it was moving so fast that she could do nothing more than instinctively move between her girlfriend and the projectile that came shooting from the group of frustrated mermen. She grunted in pain as the arrow pierced her armour and entered her left shoulder, lodging there but thankfully missing anything really vital. The _only_ important thing in her mind at the moment was that someone had tried to shoot her Suzie and she responded with swift and predictable retribution.

There were no more smiles now Susan noticed as Black heiress took the arrow meant for her and positioned herself in front of the hostages, screening them from any more attacks. Cassie's face was set in that hard, cold mask that she wore when she was _really_ angry. Her right hand was clenching and unclenching rapidly, which Susan well knew meant that she was accessing and calling forth the darker and more violent end of her elemental magic range. She and Cedric shared a nervous glance as the walls of the water tube began to ripple and shake. They would have run if the red head or the other former hostages had been capable of it, or more to the point, if there was anywhere to run to. As it was they were trapped within the confines of this huge column of air that her extremely pissed off lover seemed to be busy heating up. And it wasn't as if Susan was in any position to calm her down as she was finding it hard enough to simply breathe in and out just now. Yeah this was going to be _really_ bad.

Wild magic and rage flooded Cassie's right arm and mixed together in a heady, deadly brew and the furious witch did absolutely nothing to stop it. In fact she welcomed it into her like an old friend. Her whole body was now shaking and twitching and smoking in a most strange, but definitely impressive, way as she walked to part of the water wall where the arrow had come from and where the enraged mermen were shouting and gesticulating at her. Cassie saw one of them reach for a weird kind of under water crossbow and totally lost her, frankly already pretty missing, shit. Keeping her wand pointed at the lake bed so that she could sustain the tube, the seething girl placed her still smoking right palm on the surface of the water and released the torrent of magical energy stored there with a flash of light and a silent scream of rage.

There was a deathly hush as the people on the bank of the lake watched the resulting devastation on the big screens at their front in absolute awe and horror. Thankfully they couldn't hear the screams of the flailing and dying mermen warriors as the wave of magically super-heated water eddied and boiled around them, turning their exposed skin a horrific shade of scarlet, peeling the flesh from their bones. The bodies were flung about as if they had been caught up in an under water whirlwind, albeit a whirlwind that burned them alive before it tore them to pieces. It was over fast, all that was left was a ripped off am still holding a bent trident and a great many scorched scales floating aimlessly in the now murky and cloudy depths of the Black lake. Other than the sounds of more than a good few people retching and bringing up their breakfast the silence remained as Cassandra Evans-Black removed her blackened hand from the tube's edge and turned to point ominously, directly into the magical video camera that she shouldn't have been able to see.

Igor Karkaroff was very grateful that the overwhelming smell of vomit was covering up the fact that he had just pissed himself. He had been the one to pay the mermen to assassinate the Evans brat's dyke girlfriend (upon Viktor's insistent urging he might add) and he didn't put it beyond her capabilities to discover the truth of that. Provided she survived long enough to put the pieces together that was, although with how his luck was going lately he didn't think that an unlikely scenario. And when she did figure it out? Well he should probably start to count his remaining life in minutes rather than the decades he should have left. Still at least it saved the Dark Lord doing it first. Merlin, what a mess he had made of his so called life.

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The group's emergence from the lake was met with a roar of relieved applause from the crowd in the makeshift stands. Cedric carefully carried the young half veela over to where her elder sister sat shivering under a heavy blanket on the dock, covered in bites and scratches, and received a grateful smile from the exhausted French champion. Fleur held Gabrielle to her, rocking the pair of them back and forth and whispering "I'm sorry" over and over while she watched the well built young blonde man move back to assist the others since the Evans-Black girl was not being much help at the moment. That was an under-statement if ever there was one. Cassie was stood stock still glaring up at the judging panel with ice in her eyes and death on her mind.

The murderous expression on Cassie's face was instantly recogniseable to anyone who even had a passing acquaintance with her as it had certainly been seen often enough in the past. Those who knew her well, however, saw her eye twitching wildly and were now racing towards the girl in an attempt to stop her from killing whoever it was that had got her into this state. No prizes would be given for guessing who _that_ might be. It was one thing to intimidate their headmaster and his cronies with the threat of violence but if Cassie didn't calm down it was entirely possible that she would actually force her way up into the stands and take her, now unsheathed scythe to the silly old fool. That wouldn't end well for any of them.

All of this running around proved to be un-necessary, however, as the young woman in question twitched once more, swayed a little on the spot and then dropped to her knees, panting and sweating. Her hand which was using the scythe as a temporary crutch suddenly seemed to lose all grip and she slid to the floor, snapping off the shaft of the arrow that still protruded nastily from her shoulder.

The woozy and swaying figure of Susan Bones was in pieces right now as she struggled to force herself to move and help her wounded girlfriend, though in reality, managing nothing more than to fall back and land heavily on her bum. She did, however, find her voice.

"Help her. For Merlin's sake somebody ... HELP HER!"

She vaguely registered bodies at her side pulling her up and guiding her off. Away from Cassie. No. This would not do. Struggling wildly in the grip of whoever had her held fast Susan began shouting again.

"No! Take me back. I need to be with her. She _needs_ me. Cassie! CASSIE!"

Strong arms folded her into a hug, smothering her shrieks.

"Hush Su. Hush now." The warm, familiar voice of her aunt Amelia washed over her stifling, and reducing her shouts to a hitching, sniffling pleading. Which in Amelia Bones' opinion was much worse. Her niece was always so strong and it killed her inside to see her like this.

"Please, please. Take me to her. She _needs_ me. Please." The last word was almost whispered.

"Alright Su. It's alright. We'll go and see your girlfriend, okay?"

She manoevered the two of them over towards the downed witch as slowly as she possibly could, not trusting that she had the strength to pull the distraught young woman away again if Cassie's condition was as bad as it looked to be.

The Hogwarts healer had run straight from her routine check of the two French girls when she had heard Miss Bones shouting. There was only one reason the always cool and composed Miss Bones would be screaming like that and sure enough when she reached the scene it was to find the pale, fevered form of Cassandra Evans-Black lying motionless in her adopted father's arms. Taking in the broken arrow and the tell tale signs of cold sweat Poppy flipped the girl onto her right side before reaching around and pulling on her dragon hide gloves. That arrow had to come out. Right now.

"You need to hold her down firmly Mister Black. This is going to hurt her a great deal and she's going to want to try and move. You cannot let her do that." She suddenly whipped out her gloved hand and slapped the blinking man across the face. "Sirius! You need to hold her down. Hard. Do you understand?"

"Yes." His voice sounded rough and odd, choked with unshed tears but he did as he was told and held his daughter fast.

With no time for fancy magic Poppy pulled the armour from the back of the girl's shoulder, indicated Lupin to hold it out of the way, took careful aim and struck the shaft of the arrow as hard she could with her dragon hide covered palm. The tip burst through Cassie's skin in a mist blood and bone fragments and gripping it tightly the healer pulled with all her might. The tatooed girl went rigid and she attempted to thrash around to alleviate the pain some. Sirius did his job as he was required and held her tightly as she tried to spasm.

Having quickly and efficiently closed Miss Evans-Black's wound with her wand Poppy Pomfrey was now examining the bloody arrow closely. Most especially it's tip which was long and tapered to a four edged point, never getting wider than the shaft to which it was attached. Designed to pierce most armour and stick fast. Then that wicked little barb that ensured that it had to be pushed all the way through the victim's body rather than being pulled or retracted. She carefully washed it off and stopped short as she noticed the dull gleam and the rotten smell emanating from it. The healer hissed and dropped the remnants of the projectile like it was on fire.

"It's a morgul arrow."

Nobody liked the sound of that. Or the reaction of their usually stoic school healer. Madame Pomfrey was spooked and her nerves were infectious as everyone in the small group surrounded the downed witch suddenly felt extremely chilly. Aurora Sinistra was the one who asked the question that a frightened and still recovering Susan seemed unable to voice.

"What does that mean Poppy?"

"Poison."

So this was how it ended. Cassie lay on her side pondering her situation. She was cold ... which was odd. She couldn't remember the last time that she felt cold, perhaps it was because she was dying. The dis-jointed thoughts running around in her head were becoming fragmented as her brain slowed down. Yep, definitely dying here. That one made Cassie sound a lot braver than she felt. She was afraid, sure, but more of leaving her family, friends and girlfriend behind than actual death itself. It wasn't that she welcomed it or anything just that she was satisfied with the life she had lived. She had loved and been loved in return, protected those who had needed it when they needed it and she had used her skills to make a big difference in the lives of others. That, Cassie considered, was a life well lived by any standards. There was an hitching, painful intake of breath and a long shudder and then Cassandra Evans-Black lay still. Susan's scream shattered the still morning before she dropped to the floor herself.

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 **Uh-oh. I can hear you guys winding up with your rants from all the way over here. It's my own stupid fault for leaving a cliff-hanger I suppose but it just seemed like such a natural place to stop. Oh well. Let's have it then, I'm a big boy and I'll take it on the chin.**

 **And where was Viktor during all of this excitement you ask? Well that too will be explained next time out. I know, I know. Once again I'm a terrible bastard.**

 **And yes I stole the name for the morgul arrow from Lord of the Rings, I'm sure JRR Tolkien won't mind too much.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	36. Chapter 36

**I thought I'd better get this one up a bit quick to apologise for the ridiculous cliffy last chapter. Now a lot of the content here was not planned to be in this chapter but I had an amazing dream (not** _ **that**_ **kind of dream, minds out of the gutter sweeties) the night after I posted 'Rescue Me' and it was just too good not to use.**

 **Oh and a big thank-you to the guest who left such a lovely review that was my 400th for this story. That's kind of amazing and I still have to pinch myself sometimes at how popular my strange little story has got.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **36\. Prayer for the dying.**

Opening her eyes Cassie did a quick mental checklist before she attempted to move in any significant manner. Fingers and toes? All present and correct and able to wiggle like Luna Lovegood pretending to be a particularly wriggly caterpillar. Limbs? Yes she had all four of them and after a nervous moment, was able to carefully lift each one in turn by a small amount. Okay so far so good. Next was hearing. Hmmm no discernible noise other than a sort of strange, low, background humming sound. Well she could come back to that one. Right, what was left? Vision? Perfect. Hang on that wasn't right, she wasn't even wearing her glasses. The worst problem in her opinion, however, was the lack of any kind of pain whatsoever. Considering the amount of agony she had been in before she passed out there was no way that there wouldn't be some kind of residual aches or pains. Okay this was starting to get a bit weird now and Cassie was on the verge of fully freaking out. What the fuck was going on?

Regulating her breathing to a more normal rate Cassie decided to start with what she knew. Although this turned out to be very little in fact. She appeared to be in the Hogwarts infirmary. Maybe. The large, airy room looked the same but it all seemed so much, not necessarily cleaner (Poppy Pomfrey waged an bitter, unending war with dirt and germs) but certainly brighter and whiter than normal. And _still_ there was no noise. At any given time of day you could always hear something going on in the hospital wing whether it be potion preparation or simple cleaning, it was never very loud but it was always _there_. For there to be no sounds at all was unbelievably spooky and disturbing. And then just as she was starting her second panic attack since waking up, there was a noise that she recognised.

The squeak, squeak, squeak of plastic hospital shoes on a polished floor echoed through the large, open plan space and although she fully expected it, the sight that greeted her when the doors were thrown open had her gaping and smirking all at the same time. The gorgeous, curvy, twenty something year old, scarlet haired nurse in the incredibly short and incredibly tight uniform, complete with little hat and stethoscope, that came sashaying across the ward had her positively salivating on her sheets. Those buttons must be held on with industrial strength titanium thread to cope with the strain that the fabulously stacked woman's manificent breasts were putting them under. Cassie finally managed to drag her enraptured gaze away from the barely restrained tits that wobbled deliciously to a stop right in front of her face and took in the face of her mysterious, ministering angel. Who looked uncannily like ...

Oh Balls. Cassie knew exactly where she was now. Or more accurately speaking she knew _what_ she was. You know, other than an enormous bloody pervert that is. Although if she was where she thought she was then there was a fairly decent chance that she might be able do something that she had never done before and she was itching to see if she could. Cassie soon got her opportunity to find out when the smiling nurse with the very familiar face spoke to her in an equally familiar tone, just outside the reach of her memory, that warmed her heart.

"Hello Cassandra."

She gazed up into the warm green eyes of the red headed woman in the _distracting_ outfit who she only seen in photographs until now and spoke the first words that weren't directed at a snake or into various intimate parts of her girlfriend's body. Of course she was going to make these her first words as profound and memorable as possible.

"Alright then mam. What's occurring?"

Letting out a loud snort that was very reminiscent of her daughter's Lily Evans struggled to rein in her fit of the giggles enough to reply.

"Oh not much, nothing really happening."

The two of them grinned maniacally at each other before collapsing in fits of hysterical laughter. Once they had managed to calm themselves down to some extent there was a lot gazing into each others eyes and smiling going on between mother and daughter. Cassie broke their mutual silent inspection by asking the obvious question.

"So am I dead then, or what?"

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There was much embarrassed shuffling of papers in the headmaster's office as the Tri-Wizard Tournament judging panel sat to discuss the scores for this morning's utter farce of a task. They were still a little shell-shocked from Madame Amelia Bones' very vocal and very public dressing down of them following their un-authorised and frankly extremely bloody stupid, use of the DMLE head's niece as a hostage. It had been pointed out that the entire organising committee had been, in effect, guilty of kidnapping and attacking the heiress to an old and respected Noble pureblood House with a commanding voice in the Wizangamot. The fact that she had coldly and calmly 'let them have it' while carrying the said young woman, unconscious in her arms on the way to the infirmary, where her fiancee's daughter was currently fighting for her life, left none of them in any doubt as to the seriousness of their predicament.

If, as she so clearly and pointedly threatened, Madame Bones started an official investigation into the goings on at the Tri-Wizard Tournament everyone in this office was aware that they wouldn't exactly come out of it covered in glory. Covered in _something_ perhaps but certainly not glory. Then there was the potential catastrophic fallout if the mermen who they had recruited to provide a challenge to the champions ended up killing the 'girl-who-lived'. It wouldn't matter to the public or the ICW that they had specifically told the merpeople that no-one was to harmed or that Miss Evans-Black had already taken spectacularly bloody vengence against those that had shot her, the tournament organisers would be the ones blamed.

Their deliberations about the actual scores then were of fairly secondary importance to those present and were perhaps rather perfunctorily meted out with little to no regard for the actual events. With everyone distracted by the possibility of serious and deep reaching investigations into their affairs they awrded points, seemingly on whim and with their own bias amazingly muted. Fleur and Krum were at the bottom of the pile with ten points apiece for the magic used rather than any actual achievement (which was none) while Diggory and Evans-Black were each given twenty points for completing the task in good time. There was no mention made of the 'girl-who-lived's poisoning or her, entirely understandable, slaughter of nearly two dozen mermen warriors.

Albus Dumbledore played little part in these negotiations and merely stroked his phoenix in an attempt to calm his shattered nerves and wondered just how this had got quite so badly out of hand quite so quickly. At no point in his internal rant against overzealous Ministry officials, untrustworthy water creatures and stroppy witches did it occur to the arrogant and ignorant headmaster that he himself might be in line for at least some of the blame here. In his warped mind and selective memories it was Ludo Bagman who had stunned the hostages (piss poorly), albeit on his instructions, so it was Bagman's fault there. It was the French half giantess who he had tasked with investigating who the respective champions would miss the most, so no fault of his there either. The only thing he could actually be said to be innocent of in the whole sorry affair was the use of the merpeople as guardians, that was all Karkaroff. The Durmstrang headmaster had pushed especially hard for that particular inclusion and as soon as he had heard about the poisoning of the Evans girl from Poppy, he knew why. Viktor bloody Krum.

What to do about Viktor Krum. This was an important question for Albus as, if he wanted to keep building the trust with Evans and her little band of misfits then clearly he had to do _something_ , but what. He supposed that if Poppy was correct (and she almost always was when it came to medical matters) and the Black heiress recovered from her brush with the grim reaper then he could simply look the other way when she tore the idiot's still beating heart from his chest. However. There was the problem that he needed all of the champions alive and kicking for the final task. Firstly to make it a good spectacle and secondly so that there were more suspects for when Tom dragged the 'girl-who-lived' off via port-key for his little resurrection party at the end of it. Perhaps it was time to hold a mini peace conference between the Bulgarians and the Freaks. If nothing else it might just stave off the inevitable deadly confrontation between the two until after his tournament was over and done.

The single fortuitous outcome from this disastrous episode was that the general wizarding public might finally start to understand just exactly how dangerous the hateful Evans bitch could be, setting her up as a potential Dark Lady. For Albus' future plans she was required to be both a hero and a villain in equal measure. He would wait for whatever result came from the Evans - Voldemort war that was certain to be waged once dear old Tom was back up and running before swooping in to rid a grateful Britain of whichever (hopefully severely weakened) Dark monster won. Fawkes, sensing his master's stupidity once again rearing it's ugly and stubborn head, pecked him hard on the nose, drawing blood and fluttered off back to his perch to sulk. That silly old fool was going to get his come-uppance one of these days and Fawkes wanted nothing more than to be there to laugh at him when it happened. Hopefully at the hand of his favourite little raven haired, warrior witch. Speaking of which, he had a date in the hospital wing and wasted no time in flashing off to see his favourite human so that he could help in her recovery.

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"No Cassie love, you're not dead, you're just ... resting ... for a while."

"But ... _how_ is this possible?"

Lily waved her hand in a parody of every crap muggle 'magician' and said.

"Magic."

"Oh." The black haired girl did not look very convinced. "So what's this place then?" She waved in a broad and all encompassing gesture at the fake school infirmary.

"It's just somewhere familiar to us where we can meet ... for a little while anyway."

"What like Death's waiting room. It's a bit shit isn't it?"

"Cassandra Marguerite Evans, don't you _dare_ use that tone of ... "

"Black." Cassie cut the older woman off mid rant.

"What?"

"Black. Evans-Black. Sirius is my da' now, all legal lke. He might not be perfect but I happen to think that he's brilliant and he's wonderful and I won't have you or anyone else disrespecting him by getting my name wrong."

Lily took in the set of the girl's jaw, the sudden harshness of her tone and the killer coldness of those startling, angry, emerald green eyes, so like her own. She had hoped that the famous Evans temper might have skipped a generation but obviously it had not. It was, after all, why they were even having this little tete-a-tete together. Well that and Cassie's mile wide protective streak that is. She sighed and shook her head sadly.

"I'm sorry Cass. You're absolutely right. Sirius has been brilliant. He's finally become the man that I always knew he could be. And your new step-mam Amelia will help, of course."

"What?" The long, lustrous black hair went everywhere as Cassie's head whipped up to stare in disbelief at her mother.

"Oh bugger, don't tell me you didn't know."

"You're terrible." Cassie smirked at the red head. "Two minutes into our first ever conversation and you're already gossiping."

"Hey you don't get to judge me missy, you're the one who sub-consciously dressed her own mother up in a 'slutty nurse' outfit."

"Sexy nurse." Lily struggled to hear her daughter's murmering.

"I'm sorry? Do enunciate dear, it's very difficult to hear you when you mumble."

Like most teenagers when being chastised by a parent, even jokingly, for their speech Cassie huffed a bit out of old habit before biting out bad temperedly.

"It's a _sexy_ nurse outfit. Slutty nurse just comes with the hat and the stethoscope."

"There is something very _wrong_ with you."

Cassie snorted as she remembered saying the exact same thing to Sirius in the summer when he had given her that parsel magic sex book. And look how well that had turned out. Best birthday present ever according to her girlfriend. Deciding to channel her adoptive father she simply beamed at Lily and nodded happily.

"I know. Fabulous isn't it?"

"Bloody Sirius Black. I can't believe you actually _chose_ him to be your da'. Not that he could do a worse job than your real father mind."

"Was he really that bad? Padfoot and Moony won't tell me, I think it makes them sad, and Charli's just like me. She doesn't have a bloody clue about him either."

"Budge up."

Lily Evans was of the opinion that if this was all the time that they were to get together then she was damned well going to make the most of it and clambered onto the hospital cot so that she could pull Cassie tightly into her arms. If her little girl wanted story time then that was exactly what she would get.

"When we first got together in our last year at Hogwarts your da' was just about as sweet as could be. Fair enough he had quite a bit to make up for like. He spent the first six years there being a right arrogant little prick but he was always there for me when things got tough that year and slowly, _very_ slowly, he grew on me."

Little by little over the next few hours Lily told her daughter all about the haltering, faltering romance between her and her biological father who, it turned out in the end, wasn't the nice, gentle man that she and her friends had thought him to be. She related some of the more outrageous adventures of Sirius and the other marauders and Cassie told her about Suzie, Ginny, Luna and the rest of 'her' girls and soon enough they were giggling and laughing and crying away in each others warm embrace.

Cassie listened to the soft, soothing tones of her mother's voice, letting them lull her into a kind of soporific trance. It was another Padfoot and Moony story full of mischief, adventure and detention with the habitually less than amused professor MacGonagall. It was as if Lily was singing her the tale, every word from her mouth dripping with lyrical, honeyed finesse. The wide eyed young witch watched every movement of the older woman's lips with complete and total fascination and an indescribable sense of pleasure and contentment. Cassie could happily stay here for ever but in the back of her mind there was the niggling sensation of the knowledge that she had somewhere else that she needed to be. There was unfinished business for Cassandra Evans-Black and soon she would have to go back and complete it.

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Susan Bones stirred restlessly in her sleep. The fluttering of wings insinuated it's quiet, yet insitent, way into the dark recesses of her dreamless slumber. Slowly her eyes unglued themselves and slid open and she struggled to cope with the harsh, artificial light of the infirmary. As her senses returned Susan's nose became filled with the aroma of ... animals? She moved herself carefully to a sitting position on the hospital cot, taking a moment to rest her woozy head on her thighs. The potions that her Aunt and Sirius had made her take still making her thoughts furry and her movements exagerratedly slow. At last she managed to lift her torso up from it's bent over state and allow her still adjusting pupils to take in the situation in the infirmary.

From the iron framed bedhead Dumbledore's phoenix familiar stared balefully at her for a few moments before blinking, his tears slowly dripping on to the newly re-opened hole in Cassie's shoulder. Susan noticed the tiny stain of blood on his beak and her still fuzzy brain started to put the pieces together. After ten hours it had become clear that all of Madame Pomfrey's antidotes, both magical and muggle, had failed. Her brave, beautiful girlfriend was slipping away from her and there was nothing she could do about it. That simple fact had almost broken the red head.

Apparently Fawkes the phoenix was also more than a little concerned as sometime during the time that Susan had been under the influence of her dreamless sleep potion he had sneaked in and started his own treatment for Cassie. You couldn't say that it wasn't working either. Her girlfriend seemed to have lost that sick, deathly pallor that she had had and her skin looked less waxy and more ... well ... alive, for want of a better word. Despite her better colour and the very shallow, very laboured rise and fall of her chest however, Cassie still wasn't moving and that was causing her a great deal of heart-ache. Standing weakly at the end of the bed Susan gripped on to the frame and stared at her slumbering lover. And her bed mates.

She would have been laughing had the situation not been quite so perilous for her most precious dark angel. Cassie was literally covered in magical creatures. In addition to the phoenix at her head there was a tiny cat (Mathilde's little pet Treacle) burrowed into her neck, her stupidly affectionate python coiled up on her stomach and two large canines curled up on the end of her bed, covering half of her legs. The large shaggy, black dog and the reddish brown wolf were an obvious ploy by the sweet, stubborn marauders to get around the 'no visitors' rule (Susan herself was a special exception) that Madame Pomfrey had put in place. And she kind of loved them for it. So caught up in stroking the cuddly beasts was she that she nearly missed it when it happened.

The twitch of a single finger. It was so slight as to be almost not noticeable. Well, not noticeable if your name wasn't Susan Bones and you weren't watching for even the most infinitesimal of movements that is. The red haired girl's head whipped around so quickly that her neck made a horrendous cracking noise which she totally ignored as her eyes hungrily searched her prone lover for more tell-tale signs of movement. After a few minutes it was clear that nothing else was going to hapen anytime soon so she lethargically dragged a chair across and positioned herself beside Cassie's bed, pulling the black haired girl's limp hand into hers. The reaction was instantaneous. The previously loose fingers clenched around hers in a massive and unmissable twitch though all too briefly before laying back in Susan's palm. It was Cassie's eyes, however, where the really interesting stuff was happening.

As she realised what this meant Susan released her girlfriend's hand and raced straight for the infirmary office. Or at least she would have done had her legs been working properly, as it was she ended up half crawling most of the way there and had to use the door handle to pull herself to her feet before crashing through the entrance.

"She's moving ... you ... come ... Cass ... moving!"

Poppy Pomfrey took a couple seconds to decipher what the excited young woman was saying but as soon as she did she had shot past Susan and was running over to her favourite patient as fast as her rather short legs would carry her. The sight that greeted her would not have excited most people but for a healer to see signs of REM in a patient who had been as unresponsive and near death as Miss Evans-Black was pretty bloody miraculous. Then she froze as she spied the reason for this 'miracle'. Bloody Fawkes. The Hogwarts healer and the headmaster's phoenix had an _interesting_ relationship to say the least and indeed had clashed over this very patient in the past.

Tutting over the fact that the 'flaming chicken' had opened up Cassandra's wound in order to drool it's supposedly healing tears into her, Poppy drew her wand to perform a diagnostic spell and was treated to one of Fawkes' irritated squawks for her pains.

"Oh shut up, I'm only checking that you haven't caused too much damage to the girl."

Unfortunately it was painfully obvious to her that Miss Evans-Black was doing much, much better which, although marvelous news in the sense that she wasn't going to die now, meant that the damned bird was actually responsible for saving her. This annoyed Poppy no end. As a professional healer the last thing that you wanted was for some irritating, smug magical creature to succeed so easily where you had already failed. And speaking of magical creatures.

"It smells like a bloody zoo in here. Right you lot come on out of my infirmary."

Treacle the cat yawned cutely, gave her a brief look and then promptly went back to sleep in the same position as before, Shortcake decided that this was an extremely acceptable response to her and immediately followed suit. Padfoot and Moony, having been prodded with her wand jumped down and hid under the bed while Fawkes was now crying with laughter at the frustrated healer but otherwise didn't move. Susan Bones tried very hard not to smile as she picked up the fallen chair and sat down to resume her hand holding duties. The fact that they had all just completely ignored her sent the fuming woman stomping back to her office muttering about 'bloody animals' and 'bloody Bones'.

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Snuggled into Lily Evans' side had to be one of the most comfortable and comforting places she could ever remember being and even if it did turn out to be all some kind of weird dream she knew that this memory was going to stay with her for the rest of her life. Cassie didn't know exactly how long their mother-daughter love in had been going on but it must have been quite a while by now. Although she did wonder if time might move diffferently in Death's waiting room ... or wherever the hell it was that they were. Not that it really mattered. The only thing that did matter to her was that their time was running out fast. Reluctantly she voiced her unwelcome thought.

"Do I have to go now?"

"I think you do darling, yes."

"Will I ever see you again?" Her new and probably temporary voice sounded small and hopeless to her. Mainly because Cassie already knew the answer to her own question.

"One day love. Not too soon though I hope. There's no need to rush so I don't want you fighting any more dragons or anything stupid like that alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get enough of that from Suzie. I can't help it if I'm ... "

"Insanely temperamental? A trouble magnet? A stroppy little cow?" Lily interrupted with a smirk.

"You're very annoying, you know that right?"

Her mother's throaty laughter, tinkling softly in her ears wasn't helping with Cassie's lack of motivation to return to where she should be and it was only thinking of how distraught her poor Suzie would be if she did stay that got her moving. Wriggling out from Lily's embrace she bounced up to her feet and pulled the complaining, but still sniggering, red head up to join her. Hugging her tightly, once they were both up and standing, Cassie snuggled her head in under Lily's chin feeling a safety and wamth that she had rarely experienced in her life up until now. Not that their time in this place was 'life' exactly. It felt like a very real and at the same time slightly surreal dream only more tangible but it was definitely not real life. Cassie could tell that because all of her many scars and tattoos were missing (which had embarrassed them both when her mum had insisted on checking) and she was, for all intents and purposes, as whole and unblemished as the day she was born.

"Alright then, lovely girl, back into bed it's time to go home. Give Suzie and your da' a kiss from me will you."

Cassie nodded her agreement and allowed hersef to be tucked back into bed, wanting to savour every moment of these experiences that she had never had as a child growing up. As if she understood this without the need for words Lily took her time flattening and primping her daughter's bedding around her. The red headed woman perched herself on the very edge of the bed, looked down at her sable haired little girl gazing lovingly back up at her and overcome with emotion began to sing softly.

 _"Huna blentyn ar fy mynwes Clyd a chynnes ydyw hon;_

 _Breichiau mam sy'n dynn amdanat, Cariad mam sy dan fy mron;_

 _Ni chaiff dim amharu'th gyntun, Ni wna undyn â thi gam;_

 _Huna'n dawel, annwyl blentyn, Huna'n fwyn ar fron dy fam._

 _Huna'n dawel, heno, huna, Huna'n fwyn, y tlws ei lun;_

 _Pam yr wyt yn awr yn gwenu, Gwenu'n dirion yn dy hun?_

 _Ai angylion fry sy'n gwenu, Arnat ti yn gwenu'n llon,_

 _Tithau'n gwenu'n ôl dan huno, Huno'n dawel ar fy mron?_

 _Paid ag ofni, dim ond deilen Gura, gura ar y ddôr;_

 _Paid ag ofni, ton fach unig Sua, sua ar lan y môr;_

 _Huna blentyn, nid oes yma Ddim i roddi iti fraw;_

 _Gwena'n dawel yn fy mynwes Ar yr engyl gwynion draw"_

The lullaby finished and Cassie's fingers that had been clasped tightly around her mum's cool, soft hand relaxed as her suddenly heavy eyelids fluttered involuntarily shut. And then the darkness came and she was gone.

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When she woke this time Cassie decided to follow the same proceedure that she had previously and opening her eyes did a quick mental checklist before she attempted to move in any significant manner. Again. Okay so what was first. Fingers and toes? Slower than before but essentially the same result. All digits present and correct, wiggle like Luna, wriggly caterpillar. Check. Limbs? Yes she still had all four of them and, while a lot more effort was involved, was able to very carefully lift each one a small amount. Awesome. Next? Owww bollocks. No need for next. The incredible amount of pain she experienced when attempting to move her head told her that wherever she was it was significantly different to her prior location. Also there were a lot of weird snuffling and trilling noises coming from close by so hearing was back to normal as was her eyesight apparently if the blurred vision was anything to go by. Cassie opened her mouth to check one last thing and was un-surprised by the only sound emanating from it being a slight huff. She was back.

Once the distraction that was her physical checks were disposed of there was nothing for her brain to do but register the reality of what she had experienced while out of herself. The emotional turmoil of both meeting and saying goodbye to the mother she had never known came crashing in upon her in unremitting and violent waves. The unexpected appearance of red hair and a soothing voice triggered the tears that were lurking just below her with calm exterior with an immediate and completely uncontrollable effect.

"Hello love. Have a nice sleep?"

Of all the reactions to her simple enquiry that Susan could have imagined the one that never even crossed her mind was for her always stoic lover to throw herself sobbing into her arms. The shocked red head held her shaking girlfriend as gently as she could to avoid tearing open her recently closed again shoulder but it seemed that Cassie was having none of it. Even if she had been inclined to end their emotionally charged embrace there was no escaping the death grip that the Black heiress had her in.

Soon enough she would have to talk to girlfriend about what had happened to her today but now was so definitely not the time. Now was the time for Susan to simply be there for her Cassie, to hold her tight, to soothe her and to kiss away the tears that fell from her eyes like September rain. Sensing the girl's distress the wolf, the grimm, the cat and the snake, even the proud and aloof phoenix crowded in on her, trying their best to give her some much needed comfort with their mere physical presence. Slowly she began to subside and soon all that could be heard in the still infirmary was the hitching, laboured breath of the black haired girl, muffled against Susan's, now very soggy, chest.

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 **I'm actually incredibly proud of this chapter for a variety of reasons that I won't bore you with here. Anyway I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **For those of you who are interested, the voices that I'm hearing in my head are; for Cassie a young Charlotte Church, and for Lily it has to be Ruth Madoc as the unforgettable Gladys Pugh (yes I really am** _ **that**_ **old). Below is a literal translation for the traditional Welsh lullaby called Suo Gan that Lily sings to Cass. It's very beautiful.**

 **Sleep child upon my bosom It is cosy and warm;**

 **Mother's arms are tight around you, A mother's love is in my breast;**

 **Nothing shall disturb your slumber, Nobody will do you harm;**

 **Sleep in peace, dear child, Sleep quietly on your mother's breast.**

 **Sleep peacefully tonight, sleep; Gently sleep, my lovely;**

 **Why are you now smiling, Smiling gently in your sleep?**

 **Are angels above smiling on you, As you smile cheerfully,**

 **Smiling back and sleeping, Sleeping quietly on my breast?**

 **Do not fear, it is nothing but a leaf Beating, beating on the door;**

 **Do not fear, only a small wave Murmurs, murmurs on the seashore;**

 **Sleep child, there's nothing here Nothing to give you fright;**

 **Smile quietly in my bosom, On the blessed angels yonder.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	37. Chapter 37

**Okay so a mixed reaction to the last chapter, which I kind of expected to be honest. So to answer a few concerns;**

 **1\. No Cassie still can't speak in the real world.**

 **2\. Yes Lily Evans was a** _ **much**_ **more complex and powerful figure than you thought.**

 **3\. It wasn't a little bit un-necessary for the plot, it was completely un-necessary but it** _ **was**_ **great fun to write.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **37\. Let it Go.**

It took a good few hours before Cassie was able to stop crying and many more before she would allow anyone to prize her girlriend off of her. Even the formidable Madame Pomfrey seemed to have taken the wise decision to not immediately jump down her throat with reprimands and diagnostic spells and just let her be for a while. There were to be no invasive tests other than a quick scan to check everything was healing nicely after the flaming chicken's unorthodox but effective treatment. What worried the school healer far more than any physical injury was the usually calm and confident young woman's shattered mental state. Which was why she was now here tucked up nice and comfy in her own bed in her own room.

Being confined to her bed, however, was starting to wear very thin indeed on Cassie. The pampering was quite nice though. Well, very nice actually. She had been released from the care of Hogwarts infirmary and packed off home to Grimmuald Place for a week's rest and recuperration and Poppy Pomfrey had very kindly sent Susan along as her home help. Which, while it had been fun for the first day or two and as much as she loved the red head, was now driving her totally mental. Cassie was pretty sure that it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Suzie either. Having your to help your girlfriend take a crap couldn't be all that pleasant, nor was it very conducive to keeping the mystery in your relationship. A girl had to keep some things to herself.

Still the upsides defintely outweighed the downsides. Upsides like having your own personal, girl sized hot water bottle to cuddle up to at night. One who also brought you breakfast and then seemed to take an obscene amount of pleasure in feeding it to you in tiny bite sized fork fulls. It was like every bad romantic manga she had ever read (and Cassie had read a lot of them) while somehow at the same time being unbelievably cute and endearing. Then of course there was the 'healing touch' that Suzie provided on a sliding scale depending on how good she had been in taking her potions or accepting necessary assistance without complaint. Needless to say after this system was introduced by her girlfriend Cassie was extremely well motivated to be a very good girl indeed. Which had led to a new and worrying offer.

"I could always wear a nurse's uniform while I look after you."

She knew that her girlfriend was just trying to cheer her up but Cassie still winced at her words as the memory of her mum dressed up in a too tight, medical outfit came barrelling unbidden into the front of her brain. Now that she thought about it in fact there were more than a few disturbing parallels between her girlfriend and her mum. Both had red hair, although Suzie's was a couple of shades darker than Lily's, both were ... blessed ... in the chest department and they both had an uncanny ability to guilt her into pretty much anything that they wanted. Which was an extremely difficult thing to do. It made her wonder just how messed up in the head she really was that she was basically dating her own mother. She also wondered how many people had noticed this and not seen fit to mention it. But then given her temper and her wholly deserved reputation for the violent expression of it she couldn't really blame them for keeping their mouths firmly shut about such a potentially dangerous subject. Still she would have thought that someone would have had the balls to say something.

 **No, I think I've had enough of nurses to last a bloody lifetime. Maybe something else like a policewoman or a cowgirl.**

Cassie gave her girlfriend a cheeky grin that she hoped was still endearing after Susan had spent the last four days of helping her to the toilet and the bath and generally looking after her. Clearly the other girl had a few screws loose as she smirked back at her and answered in the vaguely positive.

"I'll see what I can do."

 **Awesome.**

She would be looking forward to that with much anticipation. For now though Suzie clearly had other business.

"Right come on you, up you get, it's time for some physical therapy."

The speed with which the naked teenage witch was out of bed and bouncing on the balls of her feet in front of Susan was incredible, as was just how wet and wide she managed to make those insanely gorgeous emerald eyes. And speaking of eyes, hers were now feeling almost compelled to look down at Cassie's wonderfully jiggling and very naked breasts. Which her girlfriend was quick to notice.

 **Mmmm.** _ **Physical therapy**_ **huh.**

"No, not like that you slapper." Susan managed about half a second of looking at her girlfriend's crestfallen face before relenting slightly. "Well alright. Maybe later if you're _very_ good."

And she was off. The red haired witch shook her head and actually giggled (which in itself was an extremely rare occurrence) as Cassie skipped happily around the bedroom doing a rather good impression of the snoopy dance. Her girlfriend was such a dork. Sweet and charming (to her anyway) and hotter than the sun, but still a total dork.

When Cassie had stopped dancing around the room because it made her want to pee, she glanced over at Suzie to gauge if she would be able to get away with using the toilet by herself today and saw her glazed expression and the big dopey grin. Aha, Miss Bones was distracted which meant ... pranks. Being as quiet as possible she sneaked up on the red head and was just about to hit her underwear with a combined tightening and tickling hex (courtesy of Nymphadora) when the thought that this really didn't count as 'being good' entered her head. Damn. The Black heiress sighed quietly and simply hugged Suzie from behind thinking that the promised sex had better be damn well worth it. To be fair it usually was more than worth it, her flame haired lover was nothing if not reliable. Especially when it came to sex. Or looking out for their extended family.

Apparently her girlfriend had left the equally reliable Hermione in charge of their House, a decision of which Cassie thoroughly approved. If anyone had any kind of chance of keeping the effervescent and insane Lulu in check and preventing their girls getting suspended for riotous behaviour it was the former Gryffindor library queen. The speed and ease with which the bushy haired girl had totally subdued and dominated Cassie's strange and hormone driven half sister was astonishing. Quite honestly she wouldn't be surprised to see Charli wearing a collar and lead before too much longer. Giving an involuntary shudder with the mental image that she had just conjured up only served to get her put straight back to bed by the hovering, hawk eyed red head watching her every move.

By late Wednesday night, early Thursday morning Cassie had pretty much recovered from both her brush with the assassin's arrow and her upsetting visit to Death's waiting room. She still didn't have the full range of motion in her shoulder but it was certainly a lot less stiff than it had been and definitely pain free enough that she was eager to indulge in some more energetic sexy fun time with the badly neglected Suzie. The sight of her gorgeous girlfriend dressed in an old leather corset, some tall, high heeled boots and a top hat that they had found in the back of the closet (and nothing else) wielding a riding crop had her shaking in anticipation. Amelia Bones was also shaking when she walked in on them twenty minutes into their 'playtime' but it was more from horror than anticipation.

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The Friday before Cassie and Susan were due to head back to school brought the unwelcome and unasked for conference to iron out what the Hogwarts headmaster described as the 'minor differences' between her and Viktor Krum. She wasn't sure that the two of them attempting to murder each other could really be described as minor differences but if it kept certain bearded old men out of her business then she would take part in this ridiculous farce. Not with good grace perhaps but at least without killing anybody. Hopefully. Their hopes of getting through this day murder free took a serious nose dive when they saw who had decided to meet them in the atrium of the Ministry. Cornelius Fudge, Minister for magic had obviously decided to give the politically powerful Black family the full, personal treatment.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic Lord Sirius, Miss Evans-Black." The obsequious man in the appalling green bowler hat bowed and scraped to them as if they were magical royalty. "Since we are still a touch early for the meeting I was wondering if the two of you would like a tour of my little kingdom?"

Sirius looked at his daughter who gave him a shrug and a half nod before accepting the Minister's offer.

"Oh wonderful." The ridiculous man looked absurdly pleased by Cassie's half-hearted agreement and held out his arm for her to take. "Shall we?"

She had been told that she had to behave today so decided that punching him in the kidneys and breaking his fingers for being a patronising twat was probably not quite honouring the terms of the contract that she had made with her future step-mother. Amelia had, following an awkward encounter with a mostly naked Cassie, Susan and a riding crop in the Head's suite at Grimmuald Place on Thursday morning, made an agreement with the girls to stay out of their business and their room if the Black heiress managed to keep herself out of trouble on this visit. As tempting as it was to give the idiot Minister of Magic a good old fashioned slap for his horribly chauvenistic crimes against her gender she just couldn't fall at the first hurdle. Her continuing, uninterrupted sex life depended on it.

Surprisingly she had enjoyed some parts of the tour. I mean it was mosty awful and interminably dull but it did perk up considerably when they got to the Department of Mysteries and met the very intelligent and very peculiar Mister Croaker. Luckily, being friends with Luna Lovegood sort of immunised you against very intelligent and very peculiar so the creepy girl and the strange man got along like a house on fire. Croaker was delighted to meet the girl who seemed to be unkillable, as she had shrugged off killing curses, basilisk venom and assassination attempts with almost ridiculous ease, if the rumours were to be believed (and he did love a good rumour), while Cassie was fascinated by anything and everything in this weird and wonderful government department. The conversation between the two (translation services provided by a suspiciously helpful Sirius) went well above the Minister's head but still he was delighted when the princess of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black accepted Croaker's invitation to return in the summer to have a proper look around. Cornelius Fudge was mentally been rubbing his hands in glee at the thought of all of the highly profitable edicts that he could pass with the support of the famous old House. The foolish little man joined the growing list of those with absolutely no common sense who believed that they could in any way control Cassandra Evans-Black.

When she entered Conference Room Four on the third floor of the Ministry building Cassie was confronted with an entire room full of such idiots, the only exception being Sirius who was there as her Head of House and translator. The actual meeting went just about how she expected it to with lots of shouting and posturing from the elder Bulgarian while Fudge made a bloody hash of trying to calm him down and smooth his ruffled feathers until Dumbledore was forced to step in. While this was going on Cassie was peering over the top of her glasses and giving Viktor the nastiest and creepiest smile in her extensive repertoire of nasty and creepy smiles. It had the effect of leaving the increasingly pale and nervous young wizard in no doubt whatsoever that once whatever deal was worked out here today's expiration date was reached she would dispose of him in the most bloody, violent and painful way possible. If she waited that long. It was very un-nerving to know with absolute certainty the exact day on which you were going to die. July the Thirtieth apparently.

His headmaster, Igor Karkaroff was faring no better today but at least he had the distraction of trying to avoid an all out war between the Krum family, including himself thanks to Viktor, and the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. The problem for him was that his young protege had already attacked the heiress of that House and her girlfriend, who happened to be related to the head of the British DMLE, which left them in a very weak position to negotiate. Not that that stopped him trying but bluster was all that he had in his arsenal and it seemed to have no effect whatsoever on the stony faced Blacks. It also freaked him out severely that the creepy teenager was just staring at Viktor with those cold green eyes and smiling, probably at the thought of finishing the job of taking him apart at the seams with that awful lightning whip of hers.

By the end of the second hour an agreement had been thrashed out where Viktor and his cronies would stay on the Durmstrang ship, well away from the school and any temptation to hurt or harrass any members of Cassie's circle. As for the Black heiress, she was to stick only to the castle with the grounds being a sort of neutral zone where each group could visit only if the other was not currently there. Enforcement would be handled by the Hogwarts staff, none of whom cared to see their school turned into a war-zone and the truce would stand until the end of July. Quite honestly the Blacks couldn't have asked for a better outcome. Their girls were safe and as an extra bonus Cassie would get a very special birthday present this year when she got to dismember the ignorant Bulgarian quidditch knob. Everybody in Conference Room Four knew what was going to happen once the temporary truce was over and most of them were of the opinion that the Bulgarians had brought this on themselves by targetting Miss Bones.

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Cedric Diggory, Hogwarts Tri-Wizard champion stood and began to applaud as the doors to the great hall banged open and the nine members of Psycho Freak House entered led by Susan Bones with a much healthier looking Cassie on her arm. To their surprise the whole of Hufflepuff House rose along with their champion and not just because Cedric had. It seemed that throwing yourself in front of a poisoned arrow to save another person from injury and possible death was exactly the kind of thing that earned you some serious brownie points with the Badgers and they responded with great enthusiasm. The Ravenclaws were much more muted in their appreciation but still rose in unison, the younger students being in awe of Cassie and the older ones in fear of her temper, still remembering the Lovegood incident from a couple of years back. As for the two remaining Houses there was a roughly fifty-fifty split of those who applauded her and those who didnt. Ron Weasley led the Gryffindor dissenters, much to the disapproval of his brothers who were now clearly planning a campaign of unrelenting terror aimed at the foolish young idiot and his moronic friends.

Over at the Slytherin table the division was almost exclusively along age lines, the first three years rising, while the upper three years stayed respectfully quiet (no booing that could piss off the dangerous young woman) but seated. Draco Malfoy looked over at the standing and softly clapping Daphne Greengrass and realised that this was one of those moments that would define how his life went going forward. Between his father's blind obedience to the Dark Lord and his mother's equally rabid adherence to the old values of the House of Black it was a miracle that Draco wasn't far more stupid than he actually was. Ironically it was his utter humiliation at the hands of the 'girl-who-lived' in his second year at Hogwarts that had started him down the road to the realisation that his family were not the all powerful force in the wizarding world that they claimed to be. If a half blood witch who couldn't even talk could trounce him so thoroughly then what did that say about his parents deeply held views on blood purity. It said that they were a total load of old bollocks, that's what and from that day he had begun a slow but steady and stealthy rehabilitation of his soul and his mind, secretly reading everything he could lay his hands on to enhance his understanding of both magic and the world around him.

The only thing his parents had taught him that he had held on to was to respect strength in others, athough he was pretty sure that they didn't mean that to apply to a short, green eyed witch with a hard on for violence and a mudblood for mother. But Draco knew true strength when he saw it and Cassandra Evans-Black had it in spades. The only question that had been plaguing him for the last year or so was how he was going to undo the damage that his early behaviour had done and gain the girl as an ally (albeit a secret one). His answer came, surprisingly enough, from his goons. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were clearly rather enamoured of the 'girl-who-lived', he guessed it was the strong, silent woman thing, and although they both knew that they had no shot whatsoever it didn't stop them mooning over her like a pair of love-struck calves. And that was his in. Greg was also a part of the very vocal and supportive Welsh contingent at Hogwarts as well as being a member of the newly formed Wrach Du Choir and had been treated to some sensationally bright smiles from not just Evans-Black but the other Psycho Freaks as well. The fact that he had allowed and even encouraged this behaviour from his bodyguard would hopefully stand him in good enough stead to make an approach without risking serious injury. An approach that needed to be made as he had picked up some rather important information from his boastfully drunk father about what would happen at the end of the final task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Standing slowly, Draco Malfoy, to the consternation of many in his House, began applauding along with most of the rest of the school. For his efforts he received beaming grins from his two hulking companions and a raised eyebow along with the barest hint of a nod from the black haired 'queen of awesome' as Diggory had begun to call her. Responding with a subtle bow resulted in all nine of the Freaks and a large python turning to stare at him. He gulped, smiled weakly back at them and tried very hard not to shit his pants. It would take a great deal of subtlety on his part to work around his parents prejudices but he was going to be much more comfortable when he could call the incredibly scary Cassandra Evans-black an ally. He doubted that they could ever be friends given their rocky start but allies was hopefully achievable. If the Dark Lord ever did come back and start his blood wars again he wanted to be on the side of the young woman who butchered trolls and dementors and had boiled over twenty mermen warriors to death with a poisoned arrow sticking out of her like it was nothing.

So yes, to further his own cause and possibly save his skin in the future he applauded her triumphant return and the rest of a very confused Slytherin House followed suit. Many of them, like the Greengrasses or the Parkinsons, had their own reasons for staying on the good side of the powerful Black family in general and their violent heiress in particular but nobody had expected Draco Malfoy to join them.

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The tall woman with the elegant silver-bonde hair and the impeccably tailored, cream business suit swept into the Beaubaxtons carriage with a grace and panache not often seen even among the French students and staff. Everyone recognised her instantly and scattered from her path as she strode to the Delacour sisters room and flung the door wide open.

"Fleur, Gabrielle."

There were two loud thumps as the girls snapped awake and half jumped, half fell from the bed that they shared, suddenly wide awake.

"Maman."

"Maman."

"Where are Diggory and the Black girl? I must speak with them."

Gabrielle fell over again as she struggled into her dressing gown but this did not deter her from trying to be the dutifull daughter and answering helpfully.

"I'll fetch them maman."

"You most certainly will not Gabrielle, you will stay here with me where I can keep an eye on you. Fleur will do it." Appoline Delacour's tone brooked no argument and despite wishing to stay far, far away from her, the Beaubaxton's champion headed off to find the heiress of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

When her eldest daughter had disappeared the tall veela turned to Gabrielle and her face lost a lot of it's harshness as she smiled at her impishly. If asked she would say that she loved both of her daughters equally but in reality Gabby was definitely her favourite and the fact that she had found her mate so young thrilled her beyond measure. What didn't thrill her quite so much was the fact that her sweet child had been put in danger without her her knowledge or permission for the sake of a bloody game. It was one of the reasons she was here today. Mister Dumbledore would be getting a rather large dressing down for his part in this debacle while Mister Diggory and Miss Evans-Black would be recieving her heart-felt and undying gratitude. Sitting on the end of the bed Appoline opened her ams, preparing herself for the arrival of the small, blonde missile that leapt at her and asked her the exact question that she was sure Gabby had been hoping she wouldn't.

"So, little one. Tell me about this mate of yours."

Two hours later all three of the Delacours currently at Hogwarts were sat in the hastily tidied common room of Psycho Freak tower sipping tea and making small talk. There were a lot of nervous witches present and therefore much rattling of china which made Cassie and Appoline smile behind their teacups when they caught each other's eye. Fleur kept flicking glances over to where her rival champion was sat chatting merrily away with her mother, with the help of the French speaking and sign proficient Miss Granger. Cerys and Gabby were sat, pale and sweating, next to each other hands tightly clasped together also watching the conversation and wincing every time the word 'mate' was used.

It was into this already strained atmosphere that potions master Severus Snape swept in being trailed by three of his male Slytherins. The two larger boys were looking around in open mouthed awe at everything and anything while their thin, blonde companion kept his eyes on Cassie and his lips set into a firm, determined line. Snape bowed deeply to the assembed witches and apologised profusely for their interruption before formally introducing Messers Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy. The sense of polite formality that he was aiming for was slightly spoiled by Draco's two henchmen grinning and waving enthusiastically at their hostess and was even further eroded by Cassie's snorting response to their unconventional greeting.

"Ah well, we shall leave you to your next meeting, Cassandra. Come along girls." She paused for a moment. "You too Miss Williams, we have some things to discuss."

"Would you mind terribly if Charlotte and I came along, I've always wanted to see the inside of the Beaubaxton's carriage." At Cassie's subtle nod Hermione invited herself along as Cerys' chaperone.

The Delacour matriarch agreed and found herself giving a little chuckle and feigned being overcome as Cassie tipped her a wink while sloppily kissing her hand in farewell. She could see why Gabrielle was so enamoured of this group of entertaining witches. Cerys, her mate was a total sweetheart and as for Miss Evans-Black well she had never met anyone quite like her. It was clear that Fleur, who was no slouch in the magical power and temper departments was both impressed and terrified of the silent but still strangely charismatic young woman and this was enough on it's own to pique her interest. After spending the morning 'talking' to her, however, Appoline was beyond interested. This funny, charming, insanely beautiful and yes also creepy and chilling teenager was making her re-think her family's attitude towards the House of Black. There was no doubt that they were still a 'dark', or at least murky grey family but the fact that the heiress of the House, with her treatment of Gabby and the company she kept, obviously had no problem with creatures and muggle borns was quite moving.

"Alone at last." Professor Severus Snape broke the uncomfortable silence which ensued following the veelas' departure.

He had been beginning to think that his god son didn't have two brain cells to rub together or at least that he was following in his father's footsteps by not using the brains that he had been given. But then Draco had requested that he be taken to meet his 'cousin', the Freak in chief, as he had some important information that she needed to know. He was still not sure that this was a very wise course of action, as Cassie's reactions could be quite unpredictable to say the least, but at least the boy was trying. f course the damned fool then just blundered ahead like a brainless Gryffindor, blurting out his news without forethought or pre-amble.

"At the end of the final challenge there is a plan to lead you into a deadly trap cousin, I overheard my father boasting about it while celebrating with a bottle of Ogden's Finest after you were injured in the last task.

"Did he say how the trap would be sprung, Mister Malfoy?"

By silent agreement among the girls, Susan was the one to question him.

"It's the trophy."

Cassie arched her eyebrow at the Malfoy heir, leaned forward and gave him the please continue gesture.

"The trophy is the trap My Lady. It's a port-key designed to take you straight to ... _him_."

 **Does princess hair gel know why.**

"Did you hear why Vol ... _he_ wants her?" Susan interjected before her lover could really get going with some of her more imaginitive insults. Although she would admit that 'Princess hair gel' was a pretty funny one. She saw professor Snape trying to stifle a smile and the two of them rolled their eyes and twitched their lips as they each noticed the other watching.

"Sorry no, mother was trying to shut him before he said too much and you know what she can be like." He was rewarded for his attempt at humour by the slight twitching of Cassie's lip. "Whatever it is that he wants you for though, I doubt that it will be very conducive to your health."

There was a very spooky silence as the Black heiress stared at him with her cold, creepy, green eyes, clearly trying to intimidate Draco into revealing any form of hidden deceit or untruth. Honestly it would have worked if he had actually had anything to hide as he was about two seconds from soiling himself for the third time today. After what seemed like an eternity and just in time to stop him embarrassing himself by making a rather large mess the Dark Angel of Psycho Freak tower nodded slowly and released him from her gaze. Deciding not to press his luck any further for today Draco opted for a quick exit from this actual snake pit and head back to his own House's poor version of it before his bowells betrayed him.

"Well ladies this was an absolute pleasure to be sure but we really should be going."

Dragging Vince and Greg up by their collars and ignoring their grumbling protests he backed up slowly across the carpeted floor of the circular common room with a sickly smile on his face until his back hit the door. A blind fumble for the handle and a sharp tug later and Draco and his minions were out of the wild and murderous beast of the House of Black's lair. Receiving a reassuring pat on the shoulder from his god father and faculty head of House, the blond haired noble heir let out a shuddering breath of relief. His father was already dead because of his involvement with the Dark Lord's plans but Draco just hoped that he had done enough to keep himself and possibly his mother from joining the bloody fool in his self dug grave.

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 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	38. Chapter 38

**To Kingleomon13 the psychic reviewer; You will find out his fate in chapter forty but yes you're pretty close to it.**

 **The plan is for this story to end in a couple of weeks time on chapter forty two with an ending that will be very open to your own interpretation. I'm doing this for two reasons. First is that this is where the original plan ended for me, although I was going to make it a much bigger cliff-hanger Second is the fact that I've been going at this fic for over a year now and I really need a proper break from it.**

 **Don't panic. There will be a sequel and I make this firm promise to you now that I will post the first chapter on new years day 2017.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **38\. Caffeine.**

They barely had three weeks of normal (ish) school life before the Easter holidays were upon them and Cassie and susan were on the train and heading back to London again. Once again there was going to be a house-full as all of the Freaks, even Ginny astonishingly enough, were given permission to stay with the Blacks for the break. As they reached the large group waiting for them on Platform nine and three quarters, however, it quickly became obvious that they would not be spending it at Grimmuald Place. Sirius, Amelia, Andromeda, Remus and Nymphadora shepherded the excited teenagers towards the public floo stations and guided them through, giving each of them the address as they went.

Bones manor, tucked away in a secluded and unplottable part of the North Yorkshire Dales, was a rather imposing house and much, much larger than Twelve Grimmuald Place. Which was why they were here. Sirius had volunteered, on his dead mother's instructions, to host the annual Eostre ball and Amelia, seeing it as an excellent opportunity to publicly announce their engagement had suggested that they hold it here at her family estate. There were other, more practical reasons as well, such as the greater space afforded by the grand old Georgian style manor house and it's generous grounds, but it was mainly so that she could invite enough people to only have to make this silly announcement once.

Upstairs in her childhood bedroom a certain red head was feeling very conflicted just now. On the one hand she was delighted to have her wonderful girlfriend whirling and twirling around her room in a beautiful black ballgown with a huge smile on her gorgeous face. On the other hand she had quite forgotten just how many drawings, posters and photographs of the same girl she had plastered over every single available piece of wall space in here and was feeling totally mortified by how over the top her obsession had been. And still was, truth be told. Delight won out in the end as she watched Cassie finish her solo dance and come sashaying towards her with a wicked look on her face.

 **So what do you think of the dress then. Is it conservative enough for you?**

Susan and her auntie had persuaded Cassie that the kind of dress that she had worn at the Yule ball would be extremely inappropriate tonight and while that was usually enough of an incentive for her to wear it she had been threatened with the restriction of intimate activities if she did. So it was a much more demure dress that covered her this evening with considerably more material although she had thrown enough of a hissy fit that she was allowed to keep her arms bare. All the training and physical activity she did had left her very trimmed and toned and Cassie did love showing off her 'guns'. Also nobody could see her lovely tattoos if her arms were covered and she wasn't going to deprive the world of that particular treat. To be honest though she would have buckled under eventually if they had really insisted as she was so very excited about this event happening in this particular location.

This was because Cassie was going to get to do something that she had always wanted to do since she had sneaked into a late night showing of Gone with the Wind while looking for somewhere dry and warm to sleep in Newport. The Black heiress, impeccably coiffed and dressed in a sable, velvet ball gown took the much cherished memory of Scarlett O'Hara sweeping down the grand staircase at Tara and imitated it perfectly on Bones manor's very acceptable version of it. Susan on her arm, she descended with dignity and grace to the spontaneous applause and coos of the watching guests, courtesied to her Head of House and his fiancee before being led out by Sirius for the first dance of the evening. Every eye was upon them and, for once, the pair of mischievous Blacks managed to not disgrace themselves or their extended family by behaving in an entirely correct and proper manner. First dance over, the ball began in earnest.

It turned out that now she was a Black Cassie had a _lot_ of cousins and, unfortunately for her, she was supposed to dance with all of them which led to an increasingly grumpy and annoyed Susan. Sirius, in a rare display of maturity, tried to put off as many of these hopefull distant relatives as possible, knowing full well that anything that made her girlfriend unhappy also made his daughter moody and aggressive. And more often than not extremely violent. So he steered away the worst of the idiots while making a point of engaging the red head in an amusing conversation, pointing out who among their noble guests had the most juicily scandalous sexual deviances and peccadilloes. Both Amelia and Cassie were extremely grateful to him for keeping her distracted and each silently promised him a treat for his actions. Although Cassie's idea of a treat for him was more along the lines of playing catch with a frisbee than the sort of activites that her future step mother was planning for after the ball.

By the end of the first hour Cassie had had more than enough of spurious semi relatives trying to flirt with her and was ready to seriously hurt the next one who tried. And right on cue here came another one of the multifarious cousins that dared to brave the glowering countenance of the Black heiress. Oh hang on, this could be interesting. She felt a rare grin grace her countenance as she watched the resigned, but still very reluctant, Draco Malfoy being pushed by his awful mother, head down to hide the horror on his face, towards his 'cousin' Cassandra. He bowed stiffly upon reaching her and held out his hand as he had been taught to do when inviting a young lady to dance.

"Miss Evans-Black I wonder if you would do me the honour of taking a turn around the floor with me."

Cassie glanced at his outstretched hand then back up into his face, raised an eyebrow and treated Draco to her best haughty 'Black princess' expression of dis-interest and mild disgust that both Andromeda and Walburga had insisted she learn. Seeing the fear cross his face, fear but not of her interestingly, ah mummy dearest was still hovering, she relented and gave him a slight nod before holding out her own hand for the blonde young man to take. The relief and gratitude that he felt was clearly too great for even the properly schooled Malfoy heir to hide and she smiled darkly at him as he guided her out on to the dancefloor.

For the most part during their dance the nervous young man kept quiet although she once again got the feeling that it wasn't her that he was nervous of. Well _mostly_ not her anyway. On the second turn around the floor he finally managed to work up the courage to speak.

"I'm sorry for this Miss Evans-Black it was not my intention to do this but mother insisted, I'm afraid."

Ah yes, Narcissa Malfoy nee Black. The dullest woman alive. At least when it came to House Black financial matters anyway but if Princess Hair Gel's mood was anything to go by she was a much more interesting and imposing character at home. Cassie still didn't trust him yet but she was prepared to put aside any differences they may have for now, especially since his timely warning about what was waiting for her at the conclusion of the final tournament task. He had potentially saved her a great deal of pain and maybe even her life, depending on how good this Voldemort and his butt-monkeys really were, and endangered himself to do so. That cut the Malfoy heir a pretty decent amount of slack.

Cassie gave Draco a gracious nod and, for once, a smile that didn't want to make him run for the toilet. They finished their dance still in silence but at least with slightly less shaking from her partner. Ending with a formal bow as the last strains of the waltz faded Draco offered the scary teenager his arm, was utterly shocked as she actually took it and led them over to the Black/Bones contingent. Managing to reach their destination without passing out through fear and/or relief the young man handed his dance partner off to her girlfriend (who looked like she _really_ wanted to cut off bollocks with a rusty knife) and cleared his throat.

"Thank-you for agreeing to dance with me Miss Evans-Black, I know that we haven't always seen eye to eye on things but I hope that in the future you may come to regard me as a useful supporter of your cause. Whatever that may be."

 **I think it's time for first names now don't you?**

"She wants you to call her Cassie." Susan, still glaring darkly at the blonde boy, took the prompt and informed Draco of her girlfriend's wish.

"Oh. Do you think that's quite proper?"

"You'd prefer cousin Cassandra perhaps? Or maybe oww, oww please don't kill me I'll call you whatever you want?" Susan Bones gave him the possible options in a kind of bored monotone that made Draco think that this clearly wasn't the first time she'd had a version of this conversation with someone.

"Ah, right. Point taken. Cassie it is then."

 **You know he's not nearly as stupid as I thought he was. Shame I don't get to hurt him now but I suppose I can restrain myself if he turns out to be a useful ally later on.**

Cassie sighed dramatically and her friends politely attempted to stifle their giggles at her disappointment of non violent interractions with the boy. Apart from her sister, that is, who started laughing so hard and so loudly that Hermione had to take her off to the bathroom to 'calm her down'. Yeah right. Like anyone believed that. All the Freaks knew that Miss Potter would be receiving some serious _discipline_ for her poor behaviour.

 **Right then who's got the next dance?**

"Ooh me, me. I want to go next before the nargles drive you to murder and mayhem." The irrepressible dirty blonde bundle of energy that was Luna Lovegood was bouncing up and down with her hand in the air determined to be next on the beautiful teenage heiress' dance card.

 **Yes Lulu, that's perfect. Let's get this party started.**

This relatively innocent statement marked the start of the descent of Amelia Bones' perfect, proper Eostre ball into something that resembled one of the many out of control parties in Psycho Freak tower. The fact that most of the Black family, barring Andromeda and Narcissa were actually joining in rather than trying to stop mayhem did not go un-noticed by the monocled witch and Sirius' promised 'treat' was promptly cancelled. This was her life now wasn't it? She was the immovable force of restaint against the unstoppable object of the Black's insane lust for causing trouble. Still it could be worse, she thought. At least she didn't have to worry about her fiancee horribly murdering anyone who looked at him wrong. She really didn't envy Susan even slightly.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Coming out of one of the downstairs bathrooms, the squeals and shrieks from every one she had tried upstairs had quickly decided her to go and explore for a less occupied one, Cassie caught sight of a shock of blonde hair. She looked around, scanning for the particular shade of ginger that she knew wouldn't be far away. Wherever Luna Lovegood was, Ginny Weasley was sure to be found lurking about somewhere as well, mooning over her friend. And there it was peering around a door frame while trying to be inconspicuous. Honestly all the shit the red head had given her and Suzie last year and here she was acting like a love-sick teenager. Which she technically was Cassie supposed but still, not the point. The point was that she was being bloody annoying. Not that Lulu was any better mind you.

The situation had been chafing on Cassie for quite some time now and the thought of going back to the Freak tower and having to go through another term of this, especially when she was supposed to be training, did not really sit well with her. She didn't need any distractions right now with what was coming next month. She needed a quiet few weeks of planning and preparation. Oh and she wanted her friends to be happy and such ... blah, blah, blah. It was this line of thought that prompted her into action and she did so immediately, appearing in front of the clueless witches and directing them, none too gently, to wait for her in her and Suzie's bedroom while she finished her morning ablutions.

It was on the way to this impromptu meeting with the 'annoying sisters' that she passed the open door of the study and happened upon a very flushed looking Hermione Granger half slumped in the seat at the desk. Spotting the soles of a pair of combat boots poking out from underneath the desk, Cassie had a fair idea of what was making Miss Granger quite so sweaty and out of breath. She smirked and waited until the proper young lady, the sweet and innocent Surrey dentists' daughter had almost reached her crescendo. At which point Cassie knocked loudly on the doorframe causing Hermione to fall backwards off of her chair with a shriek complemented with a loud banging followed by a great deal of muffled cursing from under the desk.

The ensuing hasty re-arranging of clothes and embarrassed fumblings around resulted in a snorting and huffing fit from the Black heiress who was struggling to stay upright by this stage. Finally able to get control of herself, Cassie pointed at the two girls and crooked her finger twice.

 **Oi, mistress Hermione. Put my sister down and follow me, I have a job for the pair of you.**

The grumbling, bushy haired bibliophile and her frustrated girlfriend muttered darkly about nosy, cock blocking bitches as they trailed up the wide, imposing staircase behind Cassie. Which she, of course, heard every word of and had a little grin to herself about. Served the horny little cows right for getting it on in a public area. Reaching the bedroom and the waiting miscreants, however, she quickly shut off her happy face and prepared for discipline.

 **Sit down, shut up and pay attention.**

The wide eyed third years did what they were told without delay.

 **Now I'm aware that I don't exactly have the best track record in this department.**

Ginny snorted and received a chilling glare for her outburst.

 **However, the thought of you two fluttering around each other with those awful googly eyed, longing looks frankly fills me with a horror that I can't begin to describe so ...**

At Cassie's signal Charli and Hermione sat behind the two girls on the bed, gripped each of the younger witches lightly on the tops of their heads and very gently forced them to face each other.

 **Ginny, it is painfully obvious to anyone was the gift of sight that Luna is in love with you and has been at least since I have known the pair of you and probably long before that.**

The youngest Weasley went bright red, made a stangled 'eep' noise and attempted to look anywhere but at Luna Lovegood. This turned out to be quite difficult as her head was clamped in the soft but unrelenting grip of their respective captors.

 **Luna, as you can see by Ginny's reaction, she is madly in love with you too. You have the power to reduce the strong and forthright Miss Weasley to a blushing, stuttering mess who says things like 'er' and 'eep'.**

The chuckling from the Irish girl birl behind her vibrated through Ginny and made her blush all the harder, while a look of comprehension and then wonder crossed Luna's oddly pretty face.

 **Okay then. We are going to go and have morning tea with the others now and do this stupid bloody interview. I don't want to see either of you again until you have ...** _ **at the very least**_ **... had a bloody good snog and a make out session. Also, hand holding and feeding each other are now mandatory activities for you two while in my presence. Are we clear?**

As the two older girls released them Ginny and Luna nodded their assent.

 **Awesome.**

And with that Cassie grabbed Charli and Hermione and dragged the pouting witches from the bedroom. They really wanted to stay and see what happened but were not about to test the patience of the girl who had just caught them shagging in Amelia Bones' private study and thus held their lives in her hand. In the end they came along without complaint.

As it turned out they were rather glad that they had accompanied Cassie because the interview with Miss Skeeter of the Daily Prophet was a highly entertaining affair. The female reporter proved to be charming and interesting as well as profesional and soon enough she had the Blacks at ease and in a decidedly open and playful mood which was just how she wanted them. Nobody got this kind of access to the 'girl-who-lived' and for her to be this relaxed and 'chatty' was a reporter's dream. Of course it wasn't ideal having someone else translating the girl's answers as she could never really be sure that what was being said was accurate, although given her reputation it was unlikely that anyone would risk her temper. A temper that the heiress had kept firmly in check today despite the occasional twitch when Rita had asked certain overly personal questions about her love life and her pure blood paramour.

Still Rita had been gifted a wealth of incredble material here and the article that she was hoping to produce from it would hopefully bring her enough plaudits that she would be able to pick and choose any and all of her future assignments. The pictures from last night's Eostre ball, to which she had also been invited, were fabulous as well, although she would only be using the ones from the earlier part if the evening before things got ... out of hand. Except one utterly enchanting photo from near the end of the night which showed the Black heiress dancing with a very tired but very happy little girl of maybe six or seven years old with a look of absolute joy on her face. That picture alone was going to make Rita an absolute fortune when the story hit the news stands in the week after Tri-Wizard Tournament had ended and she made sure to offer her profuse gratitude to the family for their generosity. Being on friendly terms with the Blacks was definitely good for business.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Spring was most definitely sprung upon their return to school. April turned into May almost un-noticed by the students of Hogwarts who were either studying for important tests or involved in the serious business of extra curricular activities. The broom closets were full and there was barely an unused corner of the grounds as lovers indulged themselves in the bright, warm days, perfect for romantic picnics. Or in Ginny and Luna's case just plain old making out wherever the hell the mood damn well took them. Which in the unfortunate professor Snape's case, once or twice included the middle of his potions class. The poor man was so astonished and distracted that he even forgot to give them detention.

Other than these fun little excursions and excitements life very quickly settled down to a steady, dull routine of lessons and meals for most of the girls of the Psycho Freak tower, although Cassie's regime included wandless and elemental training too. While everyone else was dragging through their school work with less enthusiasm than professor Snape facing a potions classroom full of first year Gryffindors Cassie was bouncing around like a hyperactive bunny on a trampoline. In the early days of her training with grandma Walburga fire had been the most difficult and frustrating of the elements for her to work with but now, with her exemption from any and all exams and nothing but time she was able to really spread her metaphorical flaming wings. The really cool stuff, however, happened when she combined fire magic with her natural affinity for manipulating the very air around her. Common practice with fire based spells was to have them erupt from the end of the user's wand while holding it with both hands to support the ferocious backing that usually follwed but Cassie had found a different way

She discovered that she could summon a small ball of incredibly hot fire with her hand and contain it in a sort of aerated stasis field which allowed her to move and manipulate it with great ease and in perfect safety. At this point she could create a tiny hole in the stasis field and then use it as a hand held weapon, anything from a blow-torch to a flame-thrower, by simply regulating the size of the hole before forcing air up to feed and push the flame wherever she desired it to go. This had the advantage of keeping her wand from catching light (an all too common problem apparently) by removing it from the heat source entirely and also gave her a free hand in which she could use her dagger. There was nothing quite so devastating to her practice dummies as a backdraught driven fireball followed up with the swinging, slicing attack from her monstrous scythe as she charged unhurt through their flaming remains.

Walburga's total and utter glee at this stepping up in her grand daughter's destructive powers was only slightly tempered by the fact that she now had to watch proceedings from behind a toughened and fire-proof glass wall after a slight accidental burning incident. It seemed that they had both underestimated the insane amount of flame that Cassie could produce from that innocent looking ball of fire in her small hand. Even now armed with that knowledge she had still managed to fill the entire cellar with the highly combustible element, burning everything in it to a cinder on more than one occasion. Walburga was safe, if a little scared (not that she would ever admit that), behind her glass protection and Cassie's natural resistance combined with the ability to literally freeze herself kept her from harm but anything else in the vicinity was just ... gone.

Because of the danger this presented to others no-one was allowed into the subterranean training room while she was practicing now. She certainly wouldn't _mean_ to hurt anyone else but, as when learning any skill, accidents did happen, frequently and with terrible effect on her surroundings. Even in the out of control moments Cassie felt the utter elation that came with the use of such awesome and magnificent power and the after effects carried into all other aspects of her daily life. She attacked the simple tasks of the day with a verve and vigour that could not be matched by anyone in the castle but Cedric whose confidence also grew as his own training progressed apace. Luckily for them their girlfriends were often the grateful recipients of this up-beat and exhuberant mood that gripped the two Hogwarts champions.

The pair of them were like chimpanzees on a caffeine high and could often be seen chasing each other around the corridors, laughing like a couple of lunatics. He called her 'Queeny', a nick-name that nobody but Cedric dared to utter, and she called him 'Dumbass', which he thankfully didn't know about and their friendship was becoming legendary. Not even the Weasley twins got in their way now as the hyper Diggory / Evans-Black combination, hopped up on magical over use, could be quite devastating to a potential prankster intent on mischief at their expense. They were like two thoroughbred race horses champing at the bit and pawing the ground, waiting for the race to start.

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore sat back and watched all of this activity with an outward twinkling, indulgent smile and an inward huge, malicious grin. The time for Tom's resurrection was almost here and he was licking his lips in anticipation at all the 'help and support' he would be able to offer the Ministry and possibly the 'girl-who-lived' when the Dark Lord finally revealed himself. Which he would most likely do immediately, old Tommy boy had always been less cunning and far more straight forward and up front about his plans for domination than was strictly good for him. He really should have been a Gryffindor. And as for the Evans girl. Well. That little monster had tripped the castle's wards more than a dozen times in the last couple of weeks. He didn't know exactly how she had done it, as that kind of information was not forthcoming from the alarms, all he knew was that she had been regularly using powerful magic and setting fire to part of the school. He suspected that she was simply going to burn her way to the prize rather than go through the maze as directed and he couldn't bring himself to care less about it. The only important thing about this whole contest now was that she reached the trophy first and got transported off to her inevitable showdown with Voldemort and he didn't give a tinker's cuss how she made that happen. Only that it did.

Over at the other end of the staff table Barty Crouch Junior was also enjoying the mayhem that Cassie was causing and his thoughts mirrored the old man's in many ways, differing in only one important aspect. The Death Eater was only hoping that she got herself to the cup first so that one of two things would happen. One, she would get taken, be overwhelmed by the minions of Volde-baby, be unwillingly used in the ritual and the Dark Lord would reward him for a job well done. Or two, and the happier outcome in his mind, she would go to the graveyard, horribly murder any-one who looked at her wrong, dash the infant Dark Lord's brains out on the nearest tomb and take his place as the Queen of the wizarding world. Either way was okay with him. Working for Voldemort was easy and familiar but he suspected that assisting Cassandra Evans-Black would provide him with a good deal more fun.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

"All ready for the final task then little Cass?"

 **Dumbass!**

Susan face palmed herself as her girlfriend gave her fellow champion an exuberant greeting. She had tried, really she had, to train Cassie out of calling Cedric that nick-name but the black haired girl seemed impervious to all her attempts on the matter. Even sexual bribery hadn't worked on this one. She smiled dreamily to herself as the thought crossed her mind that she may have to resort to the riding crop which she had secretly packed when Cassie wasn't looking and had quickly become a bit of a bedroom favourite with her. Feeling herself get a little hot under the collar Susan reached over and ran her nails up her girlfriend's stockinged thigh hard enough to leave a mark. The resulting hiss caused a chuckle from all those who had noticed which included an amused Katie Bell but not Ginny or Luna who seemingly only had eyes for each other at the moment. Ah the thrill of new love, there was nothing like it. Dragging her attention back to the conversation that had been continuing in her brief mental absence Susan tuned back in just in time to hear the handsome Hufflepuff seeker give voice to his growing excitement.

"Isn't it great, I do love a good old fashioned race to the finish and in a maze too. It doesn't get much better than that."

Cassie just smiled at her dim but happy friend and nodded her head in agreement. He was so excited about the idea of running the magical maze that she just couldn't bring herself to tell him that she was planning a rather different and more ... direct way to the prize. Nor would Cassie be telling him that she was only doing this to prove that she could, as she certainly had absolutely no intention whatsoever of actually touching the dangerously rigged trophy. Unfotunately she still had to figure out a way of keeping an over excited Cedric from grabbing the port-key as well. Her only idea so far was to reach it first and keep him away from it, hopefully without the use of physical force but she was prepared to knock him out if it was necessary to keep him safe. Katie would actually kill her if she let him get taken by the Dark Knob and frankly she would deserve it.

She gave the Gryffindor witch an 'I'll keep him safe for you' kind of a nod, grinned at Cedric, pushed him off of his chair, leapt to her feet and sprinted out of the library past an astonished and pretty annoyed Madame Pince. The popular, blonde, Hufflepuff seeker blinked from his position sitting on the library floor at the rapidly disappearing form of Cassandra Evans-Black before charging out after her yelling.

"You little cow, just you wait till I get my hands on you."

As the rest of them were ejected en masse by the furious, puce faced librarian for laughing too loudly at their companions' antics Susan took Katie by the arm and led her in the direction of their tower. Her reasoning for this was that it was almost guaranteed that their idiotic and juvenile partners would probably finish their chase up there anyway.

"Come on Katie, why don't you come and have some tea with us and we'll wait for the idiots to wear themselves out together."

"Don't you think that they should be resting up for the task tommorrow?"

"Do you want to be the one to tell them that?"

Katie paused only very slightly before making her decision.

"Tea does sound nice."

As predicted the Hogwarts champions showed up at Psycho Freak tower an hour and a half later looking tired and dirty but with the sparkling light of excitement in their eyes undimmed by their stenuous efforts. Cassie hopped immediately into her girlfriend's lap and snuggled into the warm embrace without hesitation. She had no wish to go up against this Dark Lord just yet unless he went after her girls in which case she would set the whole world alight to get at him and she would show the man who had murdered her mum just why you didn't mess with the House of Black. But for now she would let things lie and continue her training until she came into her full power which was why she was keeping her promise to Suzie and staying out of trouble tommorrow. Besides she had come up with the perfect person to send in her stead. Huffing her amusement into Suzie's neck the emerald eyed witch trembled with excitement. She couldn't wait to show the morons of the tournament committee what she had planned for the final task. It was going to be a lot of fun. Well, for her anyway.

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 **A lot of the next chapter is already written so barring any catastrophes in the edit it should be up in two or three days.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	39. Chapter 39

**As promised this one's up nice and quick for you lovely people.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

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 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **39\. Here Comes the Hot-stepper.**

On a bright day in late May one could be forgiven for thinking that this famous old school had been moved brick by brick from the Highlands of Scotland to the very heart of Wales. The dark robes of the prim and proper members of most of the wizarding population were drowned in an ocean of green and white dragon flags, giant leeks, daffodil hats and Welsh rugby tops. To the surprise of almost everyone present there were also a small clump of scarlet and black dress uniforms of the muggle military in amongst them. There was also quite a lot of alcohol smuggled in which only increased the already impressive amount of noise that they were making as everyone waited for the champions to arrive.

Hogwarts Wrach Du choir had been bolstered by the addition of some two dozen squibs from the ranks Her Majesty's Welsh Guards, all of whom subscribed to the Daily Prophet and had got together to make the trip to Scotland to lend their support to the Cymru champion. The soldiers had instantly adopted the utterly adorable and vocally talented Cerys Williams as their temporary soloist and mascot. The effect that this had on the choir's slightly modified rendition of Men of Harlech that greeted Cassandra Evans-Black's appearance was dramatic, adding some seriously strong bass and tenor elements to their, already fairly decent, singing.

 _Girl of Harlech, stop your dreaming,_

 _Can't you see their spearpoints_

 _gleaming_

 _See their warrior pennants streaming_

 _To this battle field_

 _Girl of Harlech stand ye steady_

 _It can not be ever said ye_

 _For the battle were not ready_

 _Welsh girls never yield_

 _From the hills_

 _rebounding_

 _Let this war cry sounding_

 _Summon all at Cambria's call_

 _The mighty foe surrounding_

 _Girl of Harlech on to glory_

 _This will ever be your story_

 _Keep these burning words before ye_

 _Welsh girls will not yield_

The partisan crowd loved it. Her family loved it. Cassie loved it. Eyes streaming she waved at the marauding, drunken horde of her countrymen who immediately started bouncing up and down in response, making the quidditch stands shake and judder under their jumping and stomping. Sirius was laughing, Luna was squealing and muttering about flying hubbleflumpers and even Amelia Bones had a half amused smile on her face as she watched the mayhem around her. Not even half an hour later, however, the smile was most definitely gone as her niece's wayward girlfriend was pulling another marauder worthy stunt.

The pall of black smoke that rose from the magical maze was threatening to obscure the vision of the spectators as well as choking them. If it weren't for the hastily conjured dispersal charm and the big screens being summoned there would have been little point in having an audience for this task. Of course the reason for all of this chaos was the fourth champion, Cassandra Evans-Black, who appeared to have set herself on fire like a phoenix and walked straight through the magical hedges towards the centre of the maze leaving a path of flaming destruction in her wake. Amelia Bones put her head in her hands while her niece and fiancee hooted and howled with laughter at the little green eyed monster's total and utter dis-regard for the Tounament committee's perfectly planned final task. As usual she seemed to take an insane amount of perverse pleasure in trampling all over everybody's careful preparations and making them regret ever laying eyes on her. That setting herself on fire thing that she did was bloody impressive though.

"What in Merlin's hairy ball sack is _wrong_ with that girl."

"She's an Evans and a Black."

Sirius shrugged as if this statement explained every strange thing that his primary heiress did. Which, to be fair, it kind of did. Both Lily Evans and himself had long been known as famous oddballs in their own right and it was no surprise to anyone that their daughter, by birth and adoption respectively, caused mischief and mayhem wherever she went. It was why the goblins loved and respected her so much. Nothing put them in as good of a mood as putting wizards noses out of joint. Something which Cassie seemed to do on an extremely regular basis to the delight of the Gringotts staff and management.

When the starting cannon had sounded for the first champion to proceed into the maze Amelia had frowned in confusion as her soon to be step daughter didn't move other than to start doing a few physical and magical warm up exercises. She clearly wasn't the only one who was confused as there was a great deal of muttering from the crowd. Not from the girls seated around her though. Susan and her fellow Freaks were just grinning and trying not to rub their hands in anticipation of what was to come. The stern head of the DMLE had looked appraisingly at her niece and all of her little friends smirking and chortling away, peering at them suspiciously through her monocle, and had decided that she was probably better off not knowing.

Three more cannon blasts had gone off and the other champions had hurried into the maze, although a confused and chivalrous Cedric had to be shoo-ed away by the tattoed witch, and _still_ she had waited at the entrance. When a good four minutes had eventually passed, filled with more nervous chattering from the stands and dark mutterings from the judging panel (muted and low as they didn't want the girl going nuts and attacking them) she finally drew her wand. It was at this point that most of those who didn't know her very well really wished that she hadn't.

There were screams and gasps of horror as the black haired, tattooed witch in the skin tight battle outfit and big boots had conjured a small flame in her right hand with her yew wand and then put it away before unceremoniously bursting into flames. Amelia had then understood why Cassie had waited for the other champions to be well out of the way when she saw the burning young woman stride purposefully straight at the first hedge setting it alight and leaving a blackened, smoking, witch shaped hole in her wake. The rapturous and enthusiastic applause broke out as the crowd realised that she had actually set herself on fire on purpose and was just _that_ good and _that_ powerful that she remained whole and unharmed.

The tournament judges were not quite so impressed with her display if the pursed lips and scowling faces were anything to go by. From her position in the stands behind them, Rita Skeeter nudged her photographer to get his attention so that she would get some good pictures of their angry reactions. She might not even use the images in her article but it was always nice to have a little blackmail material on hand when dealing with the 'great and good' of wizarding society. One never knew when it might come in handy to have something juicy on a senior member of the government should she fall foul of the law in the future. Although with her recently initiated good relations with the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black it may not be necessary. Every time she wrote about the heroic princess of the Blacks and her progress in the Tri-Wizard Tournament it was now an opportunity to further cement herself in their good graces and with the start that the girl had made in the final task that wasn't going to be a difficult job today.

Amelia, who saw everything, did not fail to notice the reporter's feral grin at the judges reactions to Cassie's impressive little 'fuck you' display of vindictiveness against them and their whole stupid event. She also saw that Sirius and Susan had similar expressions as they watched Skeeter watching the panel and wondered what terrible plans the two devious people were hatching. It was like watching a pair of wolves hungrily watching a cat who was eyeing up a mouse. She loved the pair of them to bits but they were a total nightmare when they started plotting together. The stern woman found it easy to like Cassie because she was always so open and straightforward about her feelings, if she liked you she made it obvious and if she didn't like you then you knew all about it. She may be brutal, vicious and even malicious on occasion but there was no guile to the girl at all and Amelia liked that about her. Hopefully the insanely beautiful young woman could get this ridiculous tournament finished quick smart and they could go home and start getting on with the serious business of becoming a real family.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

This was fun. Cassandra Evans-Black was having an absolute blast in today's task. In more ways than one. She tried not to giggle as she shot another conical gout of flame at the magical foliage, creating another hole for her to skip through. Hedge number five had vapourised as easily as the first four as soon as Cassie approached it. That was not what halted her progress. It was what was waiting beyond it that brought her up short.

On the other side of this one was a taller and bloodier version of herself staring at her with startling, smoking emerald green eyes and gripping her trademark scythe in her right hand. Oh she remembered these guys alright. Boggart. The embodiment of all your deepest, darkest fears. Apparently word had gotten around the boggart community about what Cassie had done to the last one of their kind that she had faced as the creature that was the mirror image of herself seemed to shimmer and sway. It's face a mask of indecision it shivered, setting up ripples right along it's borrowed form, then it dropped it's scythe, held up it's hands and began to back away very, very slowly.

Holding her hands out to the sides and pulling the flames back down into her palms Cassie tracked the backwards progress of the boggart for a moment before making her decision about it's fate. She smiled wolfishly at the retreating creature, took in a deep breath, brought her hands up to her mouth and blew sharply on her guttering pilot lights. For those muggle borns in the crowd what happened next was reminiscent of one of those big budget science fiction movies while everyone else thought that she looked like a human shaped dragon as the fire shot from a few inches in front of her mouth in a concentrated line. The foot round cylinder of flame punched a hole right through the chest of her target and continued on without slowing to set light more of the greenery in the maze.

Yet another of those nifty cameras caught her giving the smoking and charred corpse of the boggart an experimental kick with her tall, heeled boot as she cocked her head and gave a little, creepy smile. The image that everyone would remember in their nightmares, however, was the one where Cassandra Evans-Black set herself on fire again and stalked back to where she had deviated from her original path, leaving a corridor of flaming bushes behind her. She looked for all the world like one of Lucifer's fallen angels of death emanating brimstone and turning all living things around her to ashes.

For Cassie this was just like training. All except the part where she had got to kill a particularly nasty magical creature that fed off of the deepest, darkest fears of it's victims that is. She really hated those fucking boggarts, they gave her the willies like nothing else in the whole of the wizarding world did and she was more than happy to put them down whenever she found one. She considered it a sort of public service. It was also a lot of fun lighting stuff on fire that screamed as they burned. Cassie briefly wondered if this made her a psychopath or a pyromaniac before deciding that she didn't really care, shrugging her shoulders and moving on.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Elsewhere in the maze the other three champions were not having quite so much fun. In fact 'fun' was a word that really couldn't be ascribed to any of the experiences that any of them were suffering through today. Not unless you considered answering stupid riddles from scary looking sphinxes, getting bitten by giant spiders, scared out of your mind by boggarts and set upon by rabid, imperioused Bulgarians fun anyway. And that was just Fleur and Cedric who managed to battle through step by step using every scrap of their magical knowedge and prowess to keep going. Cedric had a bit of trouble with the sphinx's riddle and was wondering how to get past it when he had found a handy witch sized hole in the hedge. He noticed that there were actually a series of holes leading off, presumably, to the middle of the maze and dousing himself in water, courtesy of a quick aguamenti spell, had followed the burning trail to it's conclusion.

Viktor was having a much worse time of it. Even though he was in the very special kind of pleasant daze that being hit with the imperious curse put you in, the young man was still feeling the excruciating pain as he had managed to get quite badly hurt. First his attack on the veela girl had not gone well, he had got in a couple of decent hits before she had accessed her fire magic and seared his right arm and side badly enough that he could smell his own skin burning. Then when he had looked back, having first put the flames out, instead of staying where she was so that he could finish her off he found that the stuck up French bitch had gone and run off. Still, looking at the crushed and blood spattered blue hat on the ground where she had been, he reckoned he had probably given her a moderately good concussion which should slow her down a bit. The voice that whispered in the back of his head told him that this was all that really mattered. Beating the others was not important, making sure that they didn't reach the centre of the maze first was.

Speaking of which it was time for him to go and find Diggory.

He set off in a random direction, listening carefully to see if he could hear the stupidly handsome, but unbelievably dense, blonde young man floundering about. Unfortunately for Viktor his hearing and his vision were currently compromised by the crackling and belching smoke of the burning hedges of the maze and he falied to notice the screaming of the boggart on the other side of the shrubbery. It should be noted that there are very few circumstances in which the imperious curse can be broken by an external event. Getting hit in the side of your face by a foot round column of virtually solid fire was apparently one of those circumstances. Luckily for him though most of it's energy had depleted in passing through the boggart and two hedges. It still set fire to his face and hair, knocked him ten feet backwards and put him on his arse mind you but it left him alive and broke the curse.

The dazed young man sat up blinking and shaking his head tryng to clear it from the remaining fog which also had the happy coincidence of putting out the smouldering remnants of his hair. The pain was incredible and he was forced to do a very quick and dirty pain removal spell, which kind of worked and attempt a healing spell which didn't work at all and left a horrible, cracked, blackened mess where his skin should have been. The indomitable spirit and will power that had seen him become the youngest seeker in a national quidditch team ever exerted itself, however, and slowly picking himself back up Viktor Krum stumbled off in pursuit of the other champions.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Emerging into the central clearing, Cassie heard a muted cheer from behind her and, spotting the magical camera hiding in plain sight, turned to give it and the audience back in the stands a bright smile and a little wave. Now that she was here things were about to get _really_ interesting but in order to keep up the illusion of her innocence she was going to have to proceed very carefully do some clever acting. Not being able to resist the temptation Cassie lifted the back of her hand to her forehead and struck a dramatic Shakespearean pose. Ah the magic of the stage. She would have made such a good actress. A lesbian thespian of rare skill and talent. Chuckling and huffing at her own joke she made her way across the clearing to where the trophy was in little skips and hops. And then just as she reached for it she stopped.

With her hand six inches from the cup and making sure that the camera was on her, the 'girl-who-lived' halted her fingers' forward progress and allowed a confused look to appear on her impressively expressive face. Confusion turned to suspicion and the black haired witch slipped her wand, the ever reliable Miss Deathtree into her left hand. She took a cautious step backwards and lifted the well looked after yew wand to point at the gleaming trophy before waving it around in series of extremely exaggerated but totally meaningless movements. Pursing her pretty, rosebud lips at the entirely imaginary results, Cassie shook her head angrily and stepped backwards a little more and away from port-key posing as a prize. Then she let her anger slowly clear from her face replacing it with resignation and swiftly following on to a kind of 'oh well, who cares' expression while skipping off to the edge of the central clearing.

At her pre-arranged signal of three quick snaps of her fingers a small house elf appeared with a pop in front of Cassie wringing her apron with her wizened little hands. Winky tried and failed to keep the stern expression on her face while she scanned her mistress for any injuries as she did on a regular basis after nearly losing her to an assassin's poisoned arrow. The thought of having to continue her life without the kind Missy who had saved and protected her last summer did not bear thinking about and she had become even more protective and possessive of the black haired teen witch. A pleasant effect of this more watchful behaviour from her was that she had seemed to pick up a bit of how Miss Cassie communicated making her job much easier as, even if it was just the two of them like today, she could now understand what was being asked of her if the instructions were kept slow and simple.

 **Table and four chairs please Winky, and then I think we'll have a spot of afternoon tea.**

"Would Miss Cassie like cakes with her tea?" The little elf already knew the answer to this but asked anyway. It was their little ritual and they both loved it and had made a bit of a game of it, Cassie pretending to think long and hard about the question with a finger pressed to her delicate lips before giving her inevitable affirmative answer.

 **Ooh cakes. Yes please Winks, that sounds lovely.**

Barely half a minute later, and to the consternation of the viewing public, Cassie was sat with a cup of Earl Grey in one hand, reading the latest issue of Teen Witch Weekly and eyeing a particularly scrummy looking chocolate eclair. And _not_ claiming the Tri-Wizard Tournament trophy.

The wizarding audience were lapping it up. On their screens they had watched in spellbound admiration as the 'girl-who-lived' burned her way through the maze's magical hedges and dangerous creatures alike in a swift and expedient manner. It had made the other champions look very outclassed and more than a little silly, especially as she had stood around waiting for them to be well into the maze before she had even started. Plus, she had set herself on bloody _fire_ which was all kinds of wicked cool. Having seen the devastation she had caused and the obvious ease with which she wielded these powerful old magics they were, therefore, quite prepared to believe that this teenaged paragon of witchcraft could sense a dark curse on the goblet.

Albus Dumbledore on the other hand was seething with anger. Having been impressed and amused by the Evans girl's blatant flouting of the spirit, if not strictly speaking, the rules of the tournament with her fiery charge straight to the centre of the maze, he was now spitting feathers at her behaviour on reaching it. Rather than lifting the trophy and being whisked away to her (and his) destiny the damned girl had given some sort of dramatic performance and walked away to have tea and cakes instead. _Cakes._ Damn and blast the girl. It may have fooled the sheep but he knew every scan for curses that existed in this world, having invented a couple of them himself, and that foolish wand waving she did was certainly _not_ one of them. She was acting he realised and that meant that ... _she knew!_ The little bitch knew about the port-key all along. With dark, glowering eyes the headmaster scanned the faces of the students with parents known to be Voldemort supporters looking for one with the knowledge, temperement and opportunity to tell her.

At first he passed over the Malfoy boy believing him to be entirely incapable of such an action but when no other candidates presented themselves to him he returned to his inspection with a more open mind. The young man had certainly kept his head down, preferring to keep his peace rather than bait the Evans brat in the last couple of years, showing a degree of intelligence that Albus hadn't suspected he was blessed with. He had been truly the perfect Slytherin when going about his interractions with her. He was obviously still a coward but he was a coward with a great deal of cunning, a talkative father and a strong sense of self preservation. _Could_ he be capable of betraying not only Tom but his parents too? Young Mister Malfoy would bear some watching in the future it seemed.

Back at the clearing in the centre of the maze, Cassie was sipping her tea and waiting patiently for Cedric to arrive. Well okay patiently was a bit of a stretch but she was waiting.

Finally Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff's heroic seeker and Hogwarts' Tri-Wizard champion came stumbling through the Eastern entrance to the clearing to another huge cheer. This may have been for the achievement that he had once again come in second to the awesome Cassandra Evans-Black but was more likely due to the fact that appeared with torn trousers, missing most of the buttons from his white shirt and was soaking wet. As were a great many of the witches in the stands now as he flicked his shoulder length blonde hair out of his eyes and gave a stunning, white toothed smile on finding his fellow champion already there. Jane Austen's moody protagonist emerging from the lake had absolutely nothing on the handsome and heroic vision that Cedric made this afternoon. That didn't stop Cassie from drawing the comparison and making Hermione up in the stands hiccough after laughing too much when she saw her friend doing it.

 **Oh Mister Darcy.**

Poor old Cedric was simply a bit confused as he watched the strange, black haired girl fanning herself with her magazine and batting her eyelashes at him. Of course he was more confused as to why she was sat here having afternoon tea rather than parading around with the tournament trophy in her grasp, receiving the well deserved plaudits for her famous victory.

"Ummm. What's going on?"

Cassie took pity on the unfortunate young man and reached for an A3 pad of paper and marker pen that Winky had provided for just this occasion. Uncapping the sharpee she revelled in the smell of the ink before writing her a single word in large block capitals.

 _ **TRAP.**_

"Trap? What's a trap?"

She summoned him over and pointed her pen at one of the empty chairs before bending over her pad again. Cedric, being the polite young man that his mum and dad had raised him to be, took his seat and poured himself some tea as his recently discovered best ever female friend tore off the top sheet and wrote a new message for him.

 _ **The trophy. It's a trap, some kind of port-key I think. I don't know where to but it feels really dark.**_

"Oh. Well that's not good. Thanks for telling me before I grabbed a hold of it Queeny."

He was such a nice and trusting young man that it didn't even cross his mind that Cassie might be lying to him or using him for her own ends (she was in fact doing both) and he just accepted her words at face value. After having given her his thanks he noticed that she was writing again and wondered what dark and ominous revelations she had to relate to him now.

 _ **That's okay Du*** Ced. Would you like a cake to go with your tea?**_

Cedric blinked comically before recovering his manners.

"Oh that sounds _super_." He reached for the teapot again. "Shall I be mother?"

Some little time later, two cups of Earl Grey and an eclair and a half to be precise, the two of them had their lovely, quiet afternoon tea disturbed by a lot of crashing about and shouting in what they assumed to be French and Bulgarian since the voices were both male and female. If anything they looked in an even worse state than Cedric had on his arrival. Fleur's beautiful blue dress was dirtied and torn, her hat was gone and her normally exquisite hair was tangled and matted with blood, while half of Viktor's face was obscured by a great black scorch mark with red fesh showing beneath the cracks. The pair of them burst into the clearing and stopped arguing immedately as they saw Cassie sitting there with Cedric as cool as a cucumber looking like she had just stepped out of a society salon. Well if you ignored the fact that she was dressed in skintight dragon hide armour and was using an enormous goblin made dagger to cut her chocolate eclair.

Seeing their eyes now flicking over to the tounament trophy she made a decision to at least try and save them and before the stunned champions could move Cassie delicately clinked her spoon against her tea cup. Viktor and Fleur turned slowly to see the scariest teenager alive holding up a hand written sign.

 **TRAP.**

Cedric was beaming with pride that his friend had once again proved her worth by attempting to warn two people that she had little love and less respect for of their impending mortal danger. This, he decided, was the mark of a true champion and waded in to add his voice of reason just in case they were suspicious of Cassie's motives given their not entirely positive interractions with the Queen of awesome. Everyone was aware of her issues with Viktor but there was something about the way that the French girl spoke to her too that vaguely whiffed of unresolved animosity between the two. Whatever it was Cedric Diggory was not about to let them run into danger over such minor concerns.

"I really wouldn't touch it if I were you. Little Cass says she suspects it to be a port-key and that she can feel the dark magic literally pouring off of the thing."

"Preposterous I don't believe for one second that this little girl can ... " Fleur's rant tailed off as she felt a chill run down her spine. She knew without having to look that the creepy, violent girl was staring at her with those cold, hard, emerald green eyes.

"Well I believe her. Cassie's never put me wrong yet and if she says it's dangerous then that's good enough for me."

"Bullshit. The little dyke bitch is trying to trick us." Viktor was his usual polite self when it came to talking to or about her but didn't give her the chance to respond as he turned on Fleur and tried to push past her and get to 'his' prize. She of course was having none of it and a heated but careful (due to their injuries) verbal and physical battle started between them.

The Hogwarts champions watched with interest and amusement for a while before Cassie pointed her finger and shot a blast of air at the trophy sending it tumbling to the grass a couple of yards from the still arguing magicals. She looked over at Cedric, raised the finger to her lips and blew a little puff of smoke from the end of it like you would a muggle pistol. The Hufflepuff hottie snorted his mouthful of tea all over himself, the tablecloth and his cake and a tutting and muttering Winky had to be called in to clean up the mess. Bless her, he thought between coughs, she was still trying to protect them from themselves.

Actually she was only attempting to manouvre the damned thing closer to the Bulgarian quidditch moron so that he would be the one taken and not Fleur. Cassie wasn't very keen on Fleur Delacour but she _was_ Cerys' mate's sister so she supposed that she ought to at least try and keep the haughty, arrogant girl out of trouble. It didn't work. The stuggling champions scrambled on the ground crawling over each other to be the first to the elusive cup with Viktor appearing to have the upper hand, with an impressive show of athleticism, however, the French girl leapt over him just as his fingers reached for the cup. It was at precisely the same moment then that both of them curled a grasping fist around the opposing handles of the trophy and with nothing more exciting than a small 'pop' ... they were gone.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Barty Crouch Junior was in a blind panic. How had this excellent plan managed to go so spectacularly badly wrong? Instead of doing what she supposed to and going off to face down the Dark Lord the 'girl-who-lived' had completely ignored his beautifully crafted port-key and sat down to have a bit of a tea party with one of the other champions. Merlin damn the girl. She had somehow managed to completely fuck up his brilliant and infallible plan that he had worked so hard on and more importantly sold to Voldemort as such. He was in a shit load of trouble and she had put him there. As much as he liked the violent and amusing little witch, Barty Junior was currently cursing her name with every expletive that his, maybe not quick but surprisingly inventive (where swearing was concerned anyway) brain could come up with.

He leapt to his feet, took the steps down the stand two at a time and raced towards the maze at break-neck speed hoping to reach there before too many people arrived and he lost his chance to grab the girl. If he didn't find some way to deliver her to the Dark Lord then one way or another he would probably not survive the day. Actually there was no 'probably' about it he definitely wouldn't survive the day. The only option that he could see that he had was to stun her, grab her and then make a run for the ward line so that he could apparate the two of them away. It was a highly dangerous plan, given her skill level, and would most definitely blow his Alastor Moody cover wide open but if he didn't at least try then he was dead anyway.

Unfortunately his Moody disguise in general and the difficult to manouvre wooden leg in particular meant that he was far from the first person to arrive on the scene at the centre of the maze. A couple of aurors, Amelia Bones, Fudge, Karkaroff, Maxime, Dumbledore, even his dear old dad were already there and searching wildly for the missing teenagers when he finally got there. The only piece of good news as far as he was concerned was that nobody had yet seen fit to question or even acknowledge the existence of the 'girl-who-liived-to-ruin-his-day'. When it came down to his personal safety or hers, Cassandra Evans-Black was always going to lose out and he tried as discretely as possible to cast his powerful stunner at her through the crowd of officials and interested parties.

As he suspected she would, Cassie seemed to sense the incoming spell more than see it and dodged out of the way allowing it to whizz past her and hit the panicking Minister of Magic full in the chest. The failure of his attack was inevitable as was the fear that gripped him when she turned the cold, creepy, green eyes on him, set down her teacup and rose with wand and dagger already fully deployed to face him. Barty Junior was so focused on the scary, maniacally grinning little black haired witch approaching him that he didn't see the three stunners and a bludgeoning hex that hit him from behind and put him down. Although he would probably have been rather glad not to have been able to feel it when she buried her steel toe-cap viciously into his balls.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **So as you can see Kingleomon13 the psychic reviewer was pretty damn close. It's off to the graveyard we go next to see what the Volde-baby makes of the whole mess.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	40. Chapter 40

**I'm so glad that you all enjoyed the tea party it was a lot of fun for me and it's still not over just yet.**

 **Warning here, also a bit of a spoiler alert. There are a couple of references to people wanting to commit an act of rape in this chapter. It's a sensitive subject for me as well and I would prefer that you all know up front that the threat of it is there. They don't do it and I can assure that even if they did I will** _ **never**_ **write a scene like that.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **40\. Die Young, Stay Pretty.**

It was a not much more than a short step from the obscured and unplottable Riddle Manor to the village of Little Hangleton's old cemetery. The ten Death Eaters had done a surprisingly good job on the wards around the church and it's grounds, with area of effect muggle repelling, anti-apparition, obfuscation and muffliato charms all overlapping each other. Their combined skills had even managed to change the weather in this part of the small Northern English village from a bright early afternoon to a dark, threatening, misty pre-dawn sky. It was perfect for the Dark Lord's purposes he thought as they waited for for the flash and pop that would signal the arrival of their guest of honour. A gathering crackle of magic away to their left indicated that the time of his long awaited resurrection was upon them and his followers drew their wands and formed a wide, loose circle just out of sight of the arrival point. The flash of light, while muted in the mid-day light of Scotland seemed inordinately bright in the oppressive gloom that now pervaded their location and it took a few moments for their eyes to adjust so that they could move in towards their target. Peter Pettigrew almost dropped the Volde-infant when they got close enough to the latest arrivals to the graveyard that they could see exactly who it was and the bundle of terror in his arms immediately stiffened with surprise and rage.

A dour gloom and dark, chilly mist pervaded the graveyard where Fleur Delacour and Viktor Krum landed heavily still gripping the Tri-Wizard trophy that was nothing like the bright, sunny, early summer day that they had just left. Disentangling one from the other each took a brief moment to chide themselves on their stubborn refusal to take the damned Black witch's warning seriously. Now they were who knew where and in who knew what kind of danger but if the scary, green eyed girl's prediction proved to be correct too then they were in all sorts of trouble. When they caught sight of the hooded, cloaked and silver masked figures emerging from the mist 'trouble' was proven to be quite the understatement and when they heard an ethereal screaming from just beyond the circle of Death Eaters they knew that they would, in fact, be very lucky to leave this place alive.

For ten solid minutes Voldemort ranted in his high screeching infants voice, railing against whatever gods of chaos had conspired to send him a pair of useless, damned children instead of the 'girl-who-lived' that he required for his ritual. As his screaming and wailing finally began to peter out and his breath came in short, sharp bursts he signalled for his faithful minions to close in around the battered teenagers while he decided what to do next. He became still and his impressive, cunning mind started to wheel through all of his past knowledge and experience to try and figure out what had gone wrong and how he could adapt his plans if necessary.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion and fear as the tiny Dark Lord silently perused the two young people on the ground in front of him. They were expecting and hoping for him to be raging and yelling and throwing crucio's around not just staring at the interlopers in silence. Silence was not a good sign when it came to Voldemort. Silence usually meant that someone was about to die. Concerned expressions sat on the face of every Death Eater in the graveyard as they hoped it was the teenagers on the floor and not them in the firing line. Not that they could see each other's faces behind the silver masks of course but it was a pretty fair bet that they all had the same one. Fear. Barty Junior had made a proper bloody mess of this. Shit, shit, shit.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

 **Would you like a cup of tea headmaster?**

He looked at her balefully as she enquired politely, then deciding that after all the excitement of the day a nice cup of tea would be quite welcome, he softened his glare, nodded in resignation and sat down next to young Mister Diggory. A stern looking female elf appeared next to him and refreshed both the teapot and, to his absolute delight, the cake stand.

"Ooh tea." Sirius plopped himself down in the remaining seat opposite the headmaster. "So does anyone know who the hell that might be." He indicated the supposed Defence professor, twitching while being dragged off for a less than fun interrogation by two aurors and his fiancee.

"Isn't it professor Moody?"

"Not likely Cedric old fruit, Mad-eye Moody wouldn't have got taken out by just a few stunners in the back. Polyjuice do you think headmaster?"

"Indeed Sirius my boy, it does seem to be the most likely explanation." Dumbledore attempted to deflect any further investigation of this potentially embarrassing fact and how he had missed it by changing the subject. "This is extraordinarily good tea Miss Evans-Black. Lapsang Souchong?"

 **Earl Grey.**

It was clear to Cassie that the old man was trying to find a way of not discussing the events of today or of any mistakes or manipulations of his that may have contributed to them, something which she was more than happy to facilitate. She really didn't want to have to explain her own actions in too much detail with competent leglimancers and aurors around so decided to play along for a while until she could get out of here and back to her tower. Keeping the false smile on her face she put out an air of interested innocence and unconcern.

 **Polyjuice. What's that again Sir?**

The headmaster's explanation was a bit perfunctory and straight out of a potions text book as he was fully aware that the nasty little monster asking the question knew precisely what polyjuice was but he did get rather caught up in giving her the history of it's discovery. It amused him somewhat that she was so far into playing her innocent little lamb role today that she was actually taking notes on his impromptu lecture but he still wasn't about to forgive her for screwing up his plans. He had had a hell of a job to get the Tri-Wizard Tournament here for the express purpose of giving him at least one arch nemesis, be that Voldemort or the Evans girl, and he had ended up with nothing. It vexed him. It vexed him greatly and now he wanted them both. So that he could kill them.

He needed Tom back alive and kicking to give him a decent 'bad guy' to save the wizarding world from before he turned his ire and his wand on the 'brat-who-lived'. Perhaps it was time to re-activate his spy, Severus, and send him off to the Dark Lord with some assistance and information. As for now though they continued their polite tea party until Cedric and Cassie were pulled away to be interviewed by the aurors and sent back off to their respective dormitories. He doubted that there would be much celebrating being done tonight before remembering that this had all gone pretty much exactly how the Black heiress had wanted it to. Great. Another noisy bloody party in the Psycho Freak tower.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

This was a rather large problem. It was more than clear by now that Barty Junior wasn't coming. He had failed to deliver the 'girl-who-lived' and was now obviously hiding out with the Evans brat or had been captured. Either way he would be in for a terrible and probably fatal punishment when he was found as his incompetence had totally screwed up everything. The ritual to create his new form and resurrect his essence into it that this whole meticulous and long term plan had been designed for required that he use blood of his enemy, forcibly taken. And there was the problem. The Evans girl had faced and beaten him (sort of) once when he was inhabiting Quirrel and was therefore very definitely his 'enemy', wheras neither of the two scared looking teens that were actually here, grovelling on the ground in front of him really qualified. He was hesitant as to his next move as this put him in a bit of a quandary now though. What to do with what he had.

Surprisingly, Peter Pettigrew was the person who solved it for him. Poor, stupid, put upon Peter who everyone, including himself, called the unkind name of Wormtail and who, while blessed with neither intelligence or courage, did have the temperament to make the ideal servant. And he was fairly cunning on occasion, he supposed, although most of the 'plans' that he came up with were on the wrong side of appalling rubbish. Voldemort suspected that the words 'I have a cunning plan' were marching with ill deserved confidence towards this conversation and he was proved right almost immediately.

"I have a cunning plan My Lord."

Of course he did. The Dark Lord was not convinced that he should let the rat animagus follow through with this thought as he remembered that the last 'cunning plan' he had resulted in him being almost killed and reduced to a shadowy spirit for thirteen years. Oh well nobody else seemed to be coming foward with any suggestions. He sighed resignedly.

"Alright Peter, for old time's sake. What is this cunning plan of yours?"

"You should take the French girl for yourself My Lord."

Yep it was another world beater.

"I don't know whether you've noticed this or not Wormtail but I don't really have the equipment for that kind of thing at the moment. Not that I would care to do _that_ even if I did have."

The self styled Lord Voldemort had never indulged in sexual activity, consensual or otherwise, considering it a waste of his valuable time and energy. There had been so much for him to learn about magic, man management and politics that all of his considerable faculties were directed at those areas that were so vital to all of his future plans. He had realised early on that the tactics of rape and murder that he was going to use to instill fear into the population that he wished to dominate would attract certain types of people to his ranks and he had no issues with their abhorrent behaviour but he had no interest in pursuing it himself. Peter Pettigrew, however, managed to dig himself out of that particular hole.

"No My Lord, I didn't mean like that. I meant that you should use her for the ritual and take her body, you know, for your soul to live in. Just think of it Lord, your knowledge and experience in an attractive, fit and healthy, eighteen year old body. Think of all the things that you could do, how many more years you ... "

"Enough." Volde-baby held up his little hand to stop the enormous amount of nervous verbal dioarrhea that was spewing out of his most loyal follower's mouth at an alarming rate. He gave the small man a frank and surprisingy impressed appraisal. "Peter, how does it feel to have had your first really good idea."

He looked over to where the two teenagers were huddled together against a broken head stone in the centre of a ring of Death Eaters taunting them. Even through the gloomy dark and mist of the graveyard, the bruises and blood and dirt caked all over her it was easy to see the girl's incredible beauty shining through. Having had his servant read all of the Tri-Wizard Tournament articles to him he had seen how the wizarding world reacted to the Evans girl. Despite there being no doubt whatsoever that she was an incredibly dark and dangerous young witch who had taken the lives of both wizards and magical creatures with no compunction or regret, everyone still seemed to utterly adore her. As did several of his Death Eaters if their requests for his exercising leniency on her were anything to go by. Had he not had very good reasons for wanting her dead he may even have listened to those requests instead of just torturing the idiots who made them.

Her image was everywhere in the media and every witch and wizard in Britain either wanted to be her or be with her. The killings of Quirrel and Lockhart, the assault on Krum, the murder of over twenty mermen, none of it was mentioned negatively at all. All they seemed to care about was how gorgeous she was and how adorable she and her girlfriend were together and what fabulous new clothes she was wearing. With the dark and terrible things this elemental magic user had got away with and probably would get away with in the future, he was starting to see the advantages that having a pretty face and a cute, distracting smile could bring. Oh yes Wormtail, using the body of a teenaged part veela witch to commence his return to power was a very good idea indeed. Of course he needed that body to be intact and not too brutally abused for it to work.

"STOP!"

Voldemort's voice screeched across the graveyard cutting through his followers like a rusty blade. The Death Eaters all froze instantly, they were all aware of what would happen to them if they didn't, and waited for further instructions from their Lord. Those instructions were not long in coming, although he certainly didn't seem to in the mood for giving out anything in way of explanations.

"Wormtail, you and Malfoy bring the girl over to the cauldron."

Peter Pettigrew hurried to carry out his master's orders, retrieving (rescuing) the terrified blonde girl from the tight grip of the now scowling werewolf who had clearly been looking forward to some form of despicable act upon her. Although whether this was raping her to death or mutilating and turning her was not entirely clear.

"Greyback, stop pouting and kill the spare."

The silver haired werewolf showed his teeth as his previous frown morphed into a huge, face splitting grin on hearing this new instruction from the Dark Lord and he turned to the already pretty badly battered young man breathing heavily and spitting blood out onto the hard ground. Just as well his orders were to kill him. Greyback didn't want a manky bloody foreigner in his pack anyway. Smile becoming wider he flexed his claws and moved swiftly towards the unfortunate Bulgarian.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The mood in Psycho Freak tower was surprisingly sombre when the members of Hogwarts fifth house re-grouped there in the late afternoon. It suddenly didn't matter that Fleur and Viktor weren't very nice or that they had a less than stellar track record in their interractions with Cassie, they were two people of around their age who were in a great deal of danger. So, no, there was no laughter today, only concern. Cerys in particular was very quiet, very subdued and very worried. It didn't help that Fleur was her mate's sister and that she could feel Gabby's panic and distress through the fledgling bond between them, which she still didn't really understand even after the detailed explanation that she had received from the kind and very patient Madame Delacour. The small Welsh girl shivered as another wave of sorrow from her mate hit her and Luna put a comforting arm around her, giving voice to the younger girl's fears.

"Do you think they'll be okay?"

"They just got magically transported to a trap in a graveyard with who knows how many Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. I think that 'okay' is probably a bit out of their reach right now Lulu." Susan stopped short when she saw Cerys' horrified face and cursed her stupid, sarcastic tongue. She couldn't pull her verbal punches even when she tried.

"Oh that's a shame, I quite liked Fleur. She was pretty."

"She's a royal bitch. Sorry Cerys but she really is." Ginny joined the 'foot in mouth' club.

"Well yes but you can't have everything can you, besides her nargle count was through the roof."

 **Honestly Cerys, I think she's pretty fucked. The Dark Tosser himself was on the other end of that port-key and I can't see either of them surviving that. I mean Viki wasn't long for this world anyway since I was planning to kill him myself this summer but I was more than happy to give Fleur a pass, given that she's almost family.**

There was much surrupticious glancing at one another by the Freaks at this bald statement by the 'Black Witch'. It was the first time that Cassie had explicitly referred to one of her plans to kill someone. They all knew that the beautiful, deadly young woman was capable of epic levels of violent retribution when she or one of her own was threatened but to realise that she was also capable of planning a brutal, cold blooded murder still came as a bit of a shock to some of them. Subconciously they had probably known it all along but it was one of those things that was never, _ever_ talked about because they absolutely, positvely did not want to know. Now, however, it was out there and the mood in the common room dropped another notch.

Cassie knew what she had said. What she had done. She had just taken the last of their innocence from her girls, not that they had ever had much in the first place where she was concerned, and done it in the full knowledge of what she was risking here. This issue, the issue of her being someone who could plan and utilise the pre-meditated murder of another human being to further her own ends, could easily break their house apart if the members of that house had been cut from a different cloth. They were dykes and deviants, cutters and emos, they were in this house for a reason and she was totally confident in their ability to move on from this 'shock'. After all, what was a little murder between friends after what they had each had to deal with in their short and mostly unhappy lives.

Unsurprisingly to her, Cerys was the first one to react. The little Welsh girl moved quickly to embrace Cassie, climbing almost into her lap to stroke her cheek before kissing her lightly on the lips and announcing.

"Dw in dy garu di fy Du Wrach."

It was a statement that, no matter what, the scary, raven haired, emerald eyed goddess had her total love and admiration.

 **Diolch yn fawr Cerys, cariad.**

Six variations along these sweetly and softly spoken lines followed as each of the Freaks presented themselves to the 'Black Witch' and gave her their undying and most loving support. Well until it came to Luna Lovegood, that is, who bounced over excitedly, laid a good old fashioned smacker on Cassie and all but shouted out.

"Mae fy hofrenfad llawn llyswennod."

Cassie had to stifle a snort of amusement at her most peculiar friend's most peculiar choice of words before calming herself enough to reply.

 **Diolch yn fawr Luna, cariad.**

With this ritual of acceptance the mood was effectively broken and a much happier and lighter atmosphere slowly started to emerge from the quiet and gloom that had previously reigned. Cassie sat like a queen before her loyal subjects although she thought herself more like the matriarch of her own sweet and beautiful little family, who were currently teasing each over their many and varied idiosynchrasies that each of them had. She was simply pleased that the thorny issue of her often violent and illegal solutions to the many problems that their group would encounter in the future had now been addressed and seemingly resolved. They were good girls and she didn't blame them for their entirely understandable qualms about her morally suspect approach to most aspects of life but they needed to know that it was _always_ on the table.

"Excuse the interruption ladies." Professor Severus Snape peered around the door. "I have some visitors for you." He leaned in close to Cassie and whispered to her. "I thought that they would be more comfortable here with you rather than in the headmaster's office with relative strangers, please try not to make me look stupid by trusting you with their safety."

Cassie nodded imperceptably at him and squeezed his hand before turning to greet her guests with smile and a gesture of welcome and a genuine hug of honest regret for the Delacours. It was the first time that she had failed to protect someone when she had set her mind to it and it stung that Cerys and her mate were the ones to suffer for that failure.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The bubbling and steaming cauldron looked about ready to explode by now as it's contents changed colour from a rather lovely shade of violet to a deep, murky, orangey grey. It looked disgusting and, he knew, tasted worse. Most of that awful taste came from the horehound, whose bitterness when combined with the belladonna made for a truly eye-wateringly foul mixture. Unfortunately it was perhaps the only possible way to adapt his already pre-mixed ritual potion and force it to another purpose. The purpose of releasing and supplanting a spirit or soul from one body to another. This was dark and dangerous magic and was vitually unheard of in the modern wizarding world for a very good reason. If he screwed up the smallest part of it he could end up turning the county and possibly this entire region of the country into a huge scorched crater filled with nothing but ashes and bones. Oh well, he had come too far now to back out. Decision made he turned to his least ham fisted follower, pulled on his sleeve to get his attention and indicated the two exact measure goblets next to the hastily gathered potion supplies.

"Bleed the girl, a single cup full from somewhere that won't kill her when you do it. Then do me. pour both cups into the cauldron and stir thirteen times widdershins. That's anti-clockwise. Oh and Peter."

"Yes My Lord?"

"Try not to bollocks this up will you, the consequences would be ... _unfortunate_."

Voldemort watched carefully as Wormtail carried out his instructions nervously but with great care and precision, obviously knowing that when The Dark Lord said unfortunate consequences what he actually meant was catastrophically bad shit happening. Trying to calm his hands shaking hands Peter began to stir one, two, three ... on the thirteenth time the potion once more changed it's colour to a clear, green consome like mixture and he stopped. His Lord's voice held a tinge of relief that Peter hadn't heard before.

"Use the clean goblets. One for the girl and one for me. Make sure that we both drink the whole thing then put us facing each other hands touching and move away from us. I would suggest moving quite a long way away."

The ritual potion was delivered and drunk and Peter backed away as ordered. Voldemort's spirit leaked out of the toddler's mouth and nose, coalescing into a semi solid black smoke and then reversed the process to surround the catatonic French girl's shocked face. And he was in.

There were two different ways in which he could proceed from here now that he was in place. The first was for him to simply scoop out and effectively 'eat' the original occupant replacing all of their mind, thoughts, memories and feelings with his own, which was difficult and rather messy. Alternatively he could make the 'request' that he be allowed to take over management of the host, giving him complete, final control over it's actions but permitting a dialogue of sorts so that the host's feelings on the matter would still be considered. Although this didn't sound like a great deal for the original owner of the body it was the only option that kept them 'alive' in some sense. The second being Voldemort's preferred option he prepared to convince the girl that it was in her best interests and used is occlumency skills to construct a mindscape of her family's library in which they could hold this vitally important discussion.

He believed that it was going rather well as the girl's consciousness seemed to listen very carefully and with a pretty open mind to his proposal before asking the expected questions.

"So I would be Lord Voldemort."

"No. _We_ would be Fleur Delacour ... _and_ Voldemort. 'Delamorte' if you like."

"I see."

She didn't really. It would be a difficult concept for anyone to understand and, while not stupid by any means, Fleur was also not what you would call particularly clever. Something of which the Dark Lord was well aware having aready had a little wander around in her brain before commencing the ritual and it was something that he was going to take full advantage of in their negotiations. Manipulation of people was a skill that you never forgot and it was one of his absolute favourite things to do. It was so much more satisfying to be able to persuade someone into doing something that they considered themselves to be incapable of than to simply force them with the threat of violence. This was one of those situations in which he literally held all the cards but in order to make his life easier in the future he was going to have make her believe that she had some degree of choice and input into their 'mutual' decision making.

"So we have an agreement then."

"I suppose we do. How do we proceed then?"

Voldemort said nothing but smiled broadly, rose from his armchair and walked over to the veela. Squatting in front of her he put his hands against the sides of her head and pressed inwards until his palms met in the middle and the essence of all that was Fleur Delacour disappeared into the ether leaving only a cloud of mist which bobbed around in the airless atmosphere. The man who had once been Tom Riddle breathed deeply, waved his hands in a beckonning manner and the smoky remains of Fleur's soul instantaneously rushed into his mouth and nostrils. He felt their spirits begin to mingle and intertwine and used all of his considerable force of will and experience to exert his dominance over her to force the veela into what was, effectively, a mental cage. Not that the French girl unerstood this fact yet. She just wanted to keep on living on in whatever way she could manage it.

The pact was agreed.

The deed was done.

Voldemort's Death Eater minions watched fascinated as the beautiful French witch blinked and opened her eyes, a small secretive smile forming on her perfect, though bruised and bloodied, lips. She stretched out her limbs as if testing them before rolling to the side and trying to rise. In the end it took a couple of attempts and the assistance of both Peter Pettigrew and Thaddeus Nott, but finally 'Lady Delamorte' was finally standing on her own two feet. Swaying around a little, to be sure, but still standing and clearly pleased about that fact if the wide, bloody grin and cunning gleam in her eyes was anything to go by.

"Right then let's get organised, we've already taken too long over this. Someone levitate that port-key over here while I get the boy's body."

"You're going back My Lord? But what if ... " Nott's voice trailed off as he saw a familiar red tinge start to work it's way into the cool, blue eyes. "Yes My Lord, right away My Lord."

"Excellent, now hit me with a couple of crucios, 'Miss Delcacour' needs to be damaged and in distress when she returns."

"You want us to ... _curse_ you My Lord ... Lady ... Lord?"

"Did I stutter Lucius? Stop your bloody snivelling, get out your wand and hit me with a damned crucio. You too Wormtail."

It was a bit confusing and un-nerving having to follow the orders issuing forth from the form of the extremely attractive young woman who, not even an hour ago, most of them had been rather hoping to have a 'taste' of but non-compliance was definitely not an option here. Especially since the Dark Lord now had a full sized body with which to pour his power and energy through. A bloody sexy body at that. No. Not sexy. Lucius Malfoy berated himself severely. This was not some some tasty Frog morsel, this was Voldemort, the most insanely scary and vicious wizard to walk the earth in centuries. Bloody hell he hoped that he didn't get drunk and make a pass at her ... him. Oh shit this was going to be tough.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The only people left in the clearing now were government officials and aurors. Professor Snape and Sirius had taken the near hysterical Delacours off to Psycho Freak tower in order to try and calm them down with lots of tea and sympathy with the promise to inform them the minute that they heard anything. All reporters and other such busy bodies had been cleared out by the red cloaked aurors, Mister Crouch was shmoozing the foreign dignitaries in the headmaster's office and Minister Fudge had been renervated and shipped off back to his office to recuperate. Amelia had the scene of the crime all to herself. Finally.

Not that there _was_ much of a crime scene mind you, after half of the people at the tournament had trampled all over it. There was little to no point in searching for magical signatures as at least eight people had performed spells here but she gave it a go anyway. As predicted it came back with a list of names that she expected apart from ... Bartemious Crouch. He hadn't cast any spells but there it was, clear as day, Bartemious Crouch (Junior). Crouch Junior? As in the Death Eater, Crouch Junior. As in the _dead_ Death Eater, Crouch Junior. There was something very fishy going on here but before she got the chance to investigate it further there was a small flash and a pop. Amelia's wand was in her hand an instant later and in a smooth, practiced motion she levelled the focus at a pair of bloody and beaten figures sprawling on the ground in the precise place where they had disappeared from almost two hours earlier.

Rushing to their side she performed a quick diagnostic scan, or at least the best one that she could perform as this type of magic really wasn't her forte, and took in the condition of the two teenagers. Thankfully, at least one of them was alive. Badly tortured it looked like, but alive.

"Miss Delacour, are you injured?"

"Don't worry about me I will survive, you must help Viktor he is very badly hurt."

Amelia Bones took one look at the limp body draped across the bruised and blood covered young woman's lap and discretely nodded at two of her aurors to relieve her of her, clearly lifeless, burden while whispering to Tonks to get her up, settled and secured and then go and find the Delacours. The magical law enforcers jumped to their tasks, carrying them out with speed and efficiency but not before the Daily Prophet photographer hiding in the hedge at the edge of the clearing had managed to snap a few shots of the dramatic scene.

"I'll go and get your family, they're with my cousin Cassandra here in the castle." Tonks told the frightened (Oh yes, I'm _sooo_ frightened) young woman as she walked her to a hastily conjured chair.

"No, don't leave me." Fleur Delacour, or Lady Delamorte as she was now secretly referring to herself, smiled deviously into the shoulder of the young auror as she clung to desperately to her robes and shed entirely false tears.

"Auror Tonks perhaps you could escort the young lady to the school infirmary then and get her healed up. I'll join you with her family when I'm done here."

Tonks? As in Andromeda Tonks, the blood traitor who had secretly run off and married a mudblood, disrespcting and destroying her family's honour. The _Black_ family. This must be her daughter, Nympha ... something. Oh this could not be more perfect. She would play the damsel in distress to the absolute full and make damned sure that the Bones woman assigned her a female bodyguard for the forseeable future because of her oh so terrible (and oh so fictional) experiences at the hands of the awful Death Eaters. A most _particular_ female bodyguard who just happened to be related to her main target, of course. My _cousin_ Cassandra, she recalled. She gripped onto the muscular arm of her red cloaked companion and put an extra bit of a hitch into her heavily accented English.

"Oh auror Tonks, you are so kind and so strong. If only you had been there to protect me from those ... those ... _beasts_."

Junior Auror Nymphadora (don't call me Nymphadora) Tonks' face hardened as she heard these words issuing forth from the poor, sweet, lovely young woman holding so tightly to her. Dear Merlin but she hoped the darling little thing hadn't suffered ... _that_ indignity. A now furiously protective Tonks wrapped her up in her auror cloak, swept her up in her arms and carried her bridal style all the way to Madame Pomphrey's domain while Fleurdamort smiled bravely through her crocodile tears all the way there. By the Gods this was all so easy. If only she had thought of it last time around she could have conquered the wizarding world with nothing more than a smile and a wink and a wave instead of going through all of that moronic and wasteful violence. Ah well, live and learn. She would do it better this time.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **Dun, dun, duuuun!**

 **Fleur is Voldemort. Voldemort is Fleur. What will the Dark Lord/Lady do with his new form and her new power.**

 **I'd like to thank Blitzstrahl for the PM that changed my mind about using Viktor's body and switching it to Fleur instead. So many more ways to go. So much more fun to be had. This is why you guys should PM if you have an idea. Sometimes they get used because they are either better than my original or they fit so perfectly with the story or even just because they amuse me so much that I simply can't help myself.**

 **Translations for those who are interested;**

 **"Dw in dy garu di fy Du Wrach." - I love you my Black Witch.**

 **Diolch yn fawr Cerys, cariad. - Thank you Cerys darling**

 **"Mae fy hofrenfad llawn llyswennod." - My hovercraft is full of eels.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	41. Chapter 41

**You know I really didn't expect such an overwhelmingly positive response to my having Voldemort take over Fleur's body and mind but it I find myself strangely pleased by it. All kudos go to Blitzstrahl for the idea.**

 **On that subject, from here on in Voldemort will always be referred to as Delamorte. She and I repeat that ...** _ **she**_ **... is totally committed to the idea of living her new lease of life as a Dark Lady** _ **not**_ **a Dark Lord and will be spending her time and vitality on conquering Britain in a far softer revolution than she tried last time.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **41\. Reasons to be Cheerful.**

Absolutely _the_ most important thing, when pretending to be someone else, was that you should at all times and in all situations involving other people who might know them try to behave like that person would. This was the kind of situation where Voldemort's decision to work with (control) rather than simply destroy the spirit and soul of Fleur Delacour was about to pay out it's considerable dividends as she now faced the girl's mother and sister. She (the female pronoun seemed more appropriate given the bodily form she was currently inhabiting) wasn't worried. She had access, not only to the French witch's thoughts and memories, but also to her feelings and emotions and Fleur was very emotional right now as she hugged her sister tightly to her. A concerned Apoline saw the wince of pain that this action brought and rushed to her side as well.

"Are you alright my beautiful girl?"

"Yes maman, I am fine."

She didn't look fine. In fact she looked every inch the brave but badly abused before finally being rescued princess that she had been going for and Apolline swallowed it all hook, line and sinker. Poppy Pomfrey had performed her usual miracles in cleaning and healing the many lacerations and bruises that marred her body but the effects of multiple cruciatus curses still left Fleur looking pale, fragile and vulnerable. Turning to the pleasant looking, red cloaked woman who was rubbing small circles on her eldest daughter's back Fleur's mother gave her a smile of gratitude and dismissed her.

"Thank-you miss auror for aiding my daughter but her family is here to take care of her now and I'm sure you must have many important things to do."

Tonks was about to protest that there was nothing more important in the world to her than Fleur's safety when she felt a delicate hand on her arm and heard that gloriously rich and honeyed voice speak the single most wonderful word that she had ever been priveledged to listen to.

"No."

"No?" Apoline slightly raised her eyebrow and the register of her voice in gentle question.

"No. Auror Tonks has been simply ... " Delamorte made it appear as if Fleur was searching for the correct English word before settling on the French equivalent instead. " ... _magnifique_. She stays with me."

So saying she slipped her small hand down into the warm, lightly callused one of a now blushing Tonks and intertwined their fingers. Her firm tone brooked no argument and the older Delacour witch tilted her head in submission to her brave daughter's wishes.

"Of course my angel, if you wish it, it shall be so."

A thrill of excitement ran through Tonks as she felt the beautiful French witch's head drop onto her shoulder and a sigh of contentment and satisfaction escape those perfect lips. Dear Merlin what was wrong with her today, she was wound as tight as a drum and acting like a lovesick school girl not the heart breaker and name taker that she was so infamous for at the Ministry. She might not be the prettiest or smartest girl in the world but what Tonks lacked in physical charms and intellect she more than made up for with confidence and charisma. The metamorphmagus thing helped a bit too. Being able to change certain aspects of her appearance to suit the tastes of whichever wizard or witch had caught her eye that particuar day was definitely a rather handy skill to have. She was, in muggle terms, a player. And she was more than happy to 'play' both sides of the fence as it were. So while it wasn't all that strange that she should be attracted to someone of Fleur's obvious charms she really shouldn't be _this_ invested in her welfare or _this_ sensitive to the girl's every little touch. Honestly it was freaking her out a bit and she was glad that her shift would be over soon and she could get home and calm herself down. Preferably with a vat of alcohol. Then her boss turned up and things got much worse.

"Miss Delacour I'm glad to see you looking so much better now. I trust Auror Tonks has been behaving herself."

"She has been perfect." Fleur purred the words out much to the consternation and slight discomfort of everyone else in the room. "Thank-you for allowing me to steal away one of your assets, and such a valuable and gifted one at that. You are most kind."

"Perfect? Are you sure?" The stern woman looked uncharacteristcally confused at Fleur's assertion. "Oh well if you're that impressed with her perhaps you would care to have me assign her as your permanent protection detail for the remainder of your stay here with us in Britain."

Amelia Bones tried very hard not to smirk at the young auror who for some reason seemed to be dead set against this plan and was discretely but desperately trying to signal to her that this was a terrible idea. Which made it all the more perfect a plan in her view. There was no point in being the boss if you couldn't occasionally assign unwanted tasks to unwilling junior staff to brighten your day up and young Miss Tonks was enough of a pain in the backside at work to make it an easy and fun decision. She was also going to be family very shortly, being both Sirius and Cassie's cousin a couple of times removed, so giving her her fair share of the crap jobs was important now to avoid the unpleasant whiff of favouritism. To her delight the charming Miss Delacour leapt at her offer.

"Oh Madame Bones that would be simply wonderful." Her dazzling smile lit up the room. "My friend we shall have such fun together, n'est ce pas."

"Of course Miss Delacour, I am at your disposal." As much as she wished that she wasn't.

"No, no that will not do. You shall call me Fleur and I shall call you ... ?"

Oh hell no.

"Just call me Tonks."

"No." Fleur stamped her little foot and pouted prettily now stroking Tonks hand in both of hers. "We are the best of friends now and we must call each other by our first names."

Bloody fucking hell. Why couldn't she be old, or hideously ugly, or have bad breath, or anything that would stop her having such a debilitating effect on the auror's will power when the damned girl held her hand and smiled at her like that. If there had been a wall handy she would have been banging her head against it in frustration as she simply wasn't able to resist quietly muttering her much hated name.

"I'm sorry I didn't quite hear that, could you say it again."

"Nymphadora."

"Your name is Nymphadora?"

"Yes."

"I see."

The silence stretched on for quite some time as the blonde girl twitched her lips and swallowed several times in a clearly monumental effort not to laugh out loud at her stony faced companion. Finally she seemed to get herself together enough to cough delicately and carry on.

"So ... Tonks ... where are you taking me for dinner."

It turned out that they ate nowhere more exciting than a secluded corner of the Hogwarts infirmary and it was hardly private being shared with Fleur's mother and sister and all under the watchful gaze of Poppy Pomfrey. This proved to be an interesting experience for Delamorte as she was entirely unfamiliar with the dynamics of a 'family meal' and as such had nothing against which to gauge the success or otherwise of her interractions. She hoped that any strangeness in her behaviour would be written off as her suffering the after effects of her stressful and bruising day. It seemed that nobody was willing to discuss the events of either the final task of the Tri-Wizard tournament or of her subsequent capture and torture tonight so they stuck mainly to small talk and the relentless grilling of the unfortunate auror Tonks. It was very different to what she had been used to but it furthered her plans for the seduction of the useful and well connected auror and also turned out to be a rather fun evening in the end.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The Delacours stayed at Hogwarts for a further two weeks following the departure of the rest of the Beaubaxtons contingent in order to help with the DMLE investigation and for Fleur to recover from her 'ordeal' in possibly the safest location in the country. The headmaster, in conjunction with the auror office had set the family and their young guard up in a very comfortable and very secure apartment near the professors' quarters. Interested students and well wishers were kept at arms length by the ever vigilant auror Tonks who was taking her duties as bodyguard very seriously indeed and certainly not out of any desire to keep the gorgeous French witch's attention focused entirely on herself. Oh no, definitely not for that reason.

As it happened she didn't need to worry as the half veela hottie seemed to have those sparkling, clear blue eyes set on her and her only. The looks and half smiles and rapt attention that Fleur lavished on the fortunate young woman were becoming the talk of the school and before long had prompted Tonks' cousin Cassandra to summon her to the Psycho Freak tower for a 'chat'. Not being able to refuse the daughter of her mother's Head of House when formally 'invited', she had reluctantly left her charges with Albus Dumbledore to look after them and set out for a spot of tea and polite conversation with the Freaks. Although how polite that conversation would be if Cassie started in on her budding and confusing relationship with Fleur was up for debate.

That evening Delamorte had her first real test of how well she was getting on with her new form and also of how good she was at interracting with people who knew Fleur Delacour. The fact that it was her old headmaster and enemy that she was attempting to fool meant that this was a test that she would either pass or die trying. It had taken some serious negotiation with her host and the slight lowering of her mental shields to give the old man a route to have a look around if he so desired and it was here that all of her plans could fail before they even got started. If Albus managed to go too deep or if she failed to show him exactly what he was looking for and no more in the girl's mind then it would all be over.

Neither of them had the need to worry as it turned out. Tonks' meeting with her cousin went brilliantly well with none of the anger or censure that she had been dreading. Oh there was concern right enough but only in the sense that things seemed to be developing at an un-necessarilly fast pace rather than the fact that it was Fleur who was the object of her affection. The metamorphmagus admitted that she too found it strange how quickly and how hard she was falling for the girl and agreed that since she would be heading back to France soon things would hopefully slow down when they could only communicate via letters and the floo and at the weekends. Cassie was very upfront about her mild dis-like of the French witch but at no point did she suggest that Tonks should end the relationship, simply encouraging her to take each day as it came and not to rush things too much.

Delamorte's evening with the headmaster was entirely without incident as well and surprisingly pleasant for her. They shared a meal and some wine, had a delightfully fun conversation regarding some of the lighter moments of Fleur's stay at the British school this year as well as some of the intricacies of the ICW and she felt only the merest brush of passive leglimancy from him. It had all gone splendidly well. She could easily see how this charismatic old man had rallied so much ardent support against her Voldemort persona and was even able to pick up some good tips on how she could do better against him this time around. The first step on that road was for her to become the Head of the Delacour family and she was busy planning how she could bring this to pass without drawing the suspicion of the authorities on her.

As the Delacours left for home, following the closure of the investigation into the Krum murder (at which she had tearfully admitted that although their assailants wore the garb of the Death Eaters none them had been Voldemort himself) and Tonks went back to her normal duties at the DMLE, the castle started to return to it's old self. And Albus Dumbledore sat back in his throne and ruminated on what he had discovered in the last ten days. His initial meeting with the young French witch who was now officially named as co-winner of the Tri-Wizard Tournament along with the deceased Viktor Krum had piqued his interest in her. She was altogether too confident and too cheerful for someone who had been through a torture and sexual assault session with Death Eaters and he he was starting to have some dark suspicions about her. The girl had earned his scrutiny and he had exercised a great amount of his impressive skills on reading her from across the great hall following their dinner, only to find an unexpected guest in her head.

Tom was back in a surprising new way and now he had to figure out how he was going to manage and manipulate this situation to give him what he had wanted for so long. The end of two 'Dark Ladies' and a Britain safe for all pure blood wizards and their families. A Britain led and controlled by the almighty champion and yes, 'king' of the light, Albus Dumbledore. Smiling to himself he thought that it looked like he was going to have a fun summer after all.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The final ten days of term, following the Delacours' departure were interminably dull for the Freaks. Only Ginny and Luna had exams of any significance and they didn't appear to care about whether they passed or not with the amount of revision that they _hadn't_ been doing, seemingly prepared to spend all of their availlable time wrapped around one another. Hermione tried her best to keep everyone motivated and working but after the excitement of the tournament and it's fallout it was difficult to say the least. They did end up doing some work if only to fill some of their days which seemed to last longer and longer as they crawled towards the summer. It wasn't like they had the distraction of many visitors with Katie and Cedric being tied up with their OWLs and NEWTs. Then two days before the break the Rita Skeeter - 'Girl-who-lived' Special with her expose of the, up until then, secret relationships among the group hit the news-stands and all hell let loose.

Post owls were a rare sight at the Psycho Freak table until the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament after which the school had been forced to re-direct incoming mail for the champions due to the insane amount of fan-mail that arrived on a daily basis. Then things had gone back to their more usual couple of deliveries a week but the morning after the article was printed no fewer than seven of the feathered couriers came sweeping directly down to interrupt the girls' breakfast. None among them failed to notice the bright red howler that a very tired and slightly embarassed looking Errol dropped off to Ginny Weasley before scuttling over to his favourite black haired witch for some love and attention.

 _"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY, YOU FOOLISH LITTLE GIRL. IF YOU THINK FOR ONE MINUTE THAT I AM GOING TO ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE CONSORTING WITH THOSE DEPRAVED LESBIAN SLUTS THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER THINK COMING. I WILL SEE YOU DISOWNED AND REMOVED FROM THIS FAMILY BEFORE I ..."_

The shrill but still somehow booming voice voice of the Weasley matriarch was abruptly cut off as Luna Lovegood dis-interestedly waved her wand and the howler exploded in a shower of beautiful rainbow coloured sparks. Replacing the focus behind her ear she took her pale, ginger haired new girlfriend's shaking hand and kissed it fondly.

"That's quite enough of _that_ I think. Those nasty little wrackspurts must have really gotten to your mum for her to say such things."

Most of the other letters were from worried but supportive family members sending their unconditional and unwavering love to their small relatives with two important exceptions. Ginny Weasley was not going to be the only one who was left pale and shaking from a mixture of anger, humiliation, sorrow and regret this breakfast time.

Charlotte Potter and Mathilde Rothschilde had received almost identical letters from their parents' solicitors informing them that unless they immmediately ceased all contact with the Black family in general and Cassandra in particular (and Hermione Granger in Charli's case) then they would be expelled from their respective families. No greetings, no pleasantries, just the bald statement of familial disapproval in that frighteningly legal jargon that solicitors were so keen on using. Their faces were pale as they handed these hateful pieces of parchment around the group to finish up in the hands of an extremely angry Cassandra Evans-Black.

Sitting back in their comfortable common room Cassie glowered as she picked through these nasty missives with Susan and Hermione looking for hidden meanings or agendas and finding nothing but the facts as they were stated. The Potters (Mackinnons) were apparently unaware of their relative's close connection with her half sister until informed of it by the newspapers and it had caused an absolute shit storm in the family. The name of Evans was not one that Charli's mother cared to have mentioned, especially not in the same breath as her daughter. No matter how much of an embarrassing and troublesome deviant that daughter was. The un-natural relationship with the mudblood girl was just the icing on the damned cake really.

The Rothschildes, however, had an entirely different reason for upsetting their youngest daughter, other than their lack of need for and intense dis-like of the strange little girl that is. These reasons were made plain by the handwritten note that accompanied Mathilde's more formal letter. In it her parents told her that she was to make up an excuse to beg the Blacks for sanctuary for the summer at which point the dis-enfranchisement from the House of Rothschilde would be activated due to her non compliance with the legal notice that she had just received. Having already given her sanctuary the Black family would then have no option but to induct her into their House as a ward. They went on to instruct that she would be expected to woo the primary heiress away from her current paramour by 'whatever means necessary' and place a Rothschilde (her) in the position to marry the next head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

If the plan succeeded she would be reinstated into the family and treated with honour, dignity and respect, however, if she failed in her assignment then it was made clear that she would never be welcome in their home again. Mathilde thought that, even for these people who had abused or ignored her for her whole short life to date, this was cold. She debated for a long time whether or not she should show it to Cassie, who was bound to be monumentally pissed at her treatment and was highly likely to go off and do something ... _drastic_ to her family. Not that she really cared what happened to them, she just didn't want her adored Dark Angel getting into trouble because of her. She did that quite well enough on her own thank-you very much.

In the end Mathilde decided that Cassie would be more upset with her for hiding something of this seriousness from her and quietly approached her scary, green eyed senior later that evening. She watched carefully as the muscles in Cassie's face began to tighten and harden as she read the opening lines and then started going red and twitching minutely as she got to the end, before wordlessly passing the note to Susan Bones.

 **I'm glad you showed this to me Mathilde. You shouldn't worry, we're going to get this all sorted out.**

Susan whispered in her ear and Cassie listened carefully, nodded, paused for a moment and then gave the slightly nervous little twelve year old an interested and thorough inspection before continuing.

 **What do** _ **you**_ **want to happen 'Tilde? Do you want to go back to your family or would you rather come and stay with us?**

"Is ... is that really an option?"

"Oh I think we can make it happen if that's what you want."

Susan smiled at the open mouthed young witch who was now openly weeping at the thought of getting to be a true member of Cassie's strange, but incredibly sweet and loving, family.

"Yes, yes, yes!" The happy and excited girl managed to calm herself down a little with a few deep breaths before clearing her throat and saying. "Sorry. What I meant to say is that it would be a pleasure and an honour to be considered one of your family My Lady."

 **Awesome. Do me a favour and send Hermione and Luna in to see me would you, then you and Susan can go and take the others out for a picnic on the grounds while we do some plotting. Oh and 'Tilde,** _ **please**_ **don't call me 'My Lady' again, there's a good girl.**

Cassie waved them out of the room before grabbing a couple of piles of parchment and paper and some quills while she waited for the two smartest, most cunning witches on the Psycho Freak roster to make their way up to her. It was time to write to Sirius, or rather her Head of House that is, and ask him for a favour. Or possibly several depending on how many brilliant and/or insane ideas her talented and peculiar brain trust managed to come up with.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The kitchen at Twelve Grimmuald Place was rapidly becoming one of Sirius Black's favourite rooms in the old house. It held none of the terror associated with the sitting room where is mother now 'graced' the wall when she wasn't visiting with Cassie and Susan at Hogwarts, or the boredom that he experienced in his study while chewing through the mountains of paperwork that his position as Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black gave him. This was the room were all he had to be was himself. Kreacher even allowed him to assist with the cooking on days when he was being slightly less grumpy than normal. Especially in the mornings as he had discovered that the elf had a bit of a soft spot for Sirius' patented breakfast hash and it was this particular treat that he was currently plating up as the vision of loveliness that was Amelia Bones walked into the room and seated herself primly at the large table.

"Good morning my love, I didn't realise that you were going to be joining me for breakfast today."

"Ah Sirius you're here. Good. We're going to need to move the wedding forward I'm afraid."

Sirius Black smiled at the bald, factual statement from his fiancee. It was one of the many things that he loved about her. She just blurted out whatever she wanted to say without pre-amble or thought for how others would react. As a fellow blurter he was probably one of the very few people who conversed with the usually stern woman on a daily basis that found it incredibly endearing rather than arrogant or just plain rude.

"That's alright love, whatever you want." He was learning. "Something going on at work at the end of August is there?"

"No, I'm pregnant."

She didn't even flinch as the plate her future husband was carrying across the kitchen shattered as it hit the flag stone floor having slipped from his limp fingers. Looking up into his stunned, confused and slightly horrified face Amelia couldn't keep the evil smirk off of her face as he all but collapsed into the chair opposite her.

"Oh I'm sorry dear, I meant to say that _we're_ pregnant."

"Wha ... uh ... how ... when?"

She decided to take these questions in order.

"I'm pregnant."

"Right."

"We had a lot of sex."

"Good."

"I think it was just before the third task when you pounced on me in the bath and neither of us had our wands to hand for the contraceptive charm."

"Okay."

"Which means that in about seven months time there's going to be another little Sirius or Amelia running around the place."

There was a nasty sounding thud as the deceptively calm looking Sirius passed out and his head hit the table. Amelia sighed and accepted another cup of that delightful coffee that he made from Kreacher who congratulated her in a slightly higher and more excited version of his normally gravelly tone. The ancient elf was clearly looking forward to having another Black born into the House and actually looked to be rather pleased. Or possibly constipated. It was a bit difficult to tell with Kreacher.

"What's wrong with him?"

Remus Lupin indicated the unconscious figure of his oldest and best friend as he entered the kitchen, gathered a plate of breakfasty goodness and returned to the table. Having learned from the reaction of her fiancee, this time she waited for him to be seated before she gave him the good news.

"We're having a baby."

The fork full of sausage and hash had only made it about half way to his waiting mouth before before it stopped abruptly.

"Bloody hell." He looked at her impassive face, then over to the still unmoving but now whimpering Sirius and thought of a house containing them, Cassie, Susan and whatever other waifs and strays they brought home with them _and_ the terrifying progeny that these two individuals would inevitably produce. "I hope you've got a lot of insurance."

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

It was just as they were gathering in the entrance hall for their carriage ride to Hogsmeade station that the Freaks came under attack from a large, dark brown owl with a bad attitude and an important message for one of their number. After Susan, Ginny and Hermione had all suffered a serious pecking on attempting to retrieve the feathered fiend's burden Cassie grabbed it around the throat with her air magic and brought it face to face with her. It flapped it's great wings a few times in frustration and annoyance before sensing the imminent danger and becoming very still as it stared into the cold, clear green eyes of the short, black haired witch that held him captive. The owl, deciding that this unbelievably scary young woman was definitely the person he was looking for, slowly and carefully extended his leg for her to take the letter. Frankly even if it wasn't for her he would still be giving it up as that dead eyed stare she 'favoured' him with terrified him far more than his employers did. Upon his release the owl drifted over to the banister to cautiously await any reply that the little human monster wished to give. Thankfully there was none and he made his escape leaving a cloud of small feathers in his wake.

 **It's from Gringotts.**

"No surprise there, only Gringotts owls are _that_ horrible. He wasn't that keen on you though was he? I think I'll have to keep you around to open my bank statements for me."

 **Just that?**

"Well I'm sure I can find _something_ else for you to do."

Cassie grinned at her suddenly mischievous girlfriend and started huffing out her quiet laughter as she attempted to fend off the tickling fingers that came reaching for her. She absolutely loved it when the usually serious Suzie got all playful like this and always reciprocated no matter where they were or how many people were watching. Which was a lot today. And most of them had cameras. They were treated to the glorious sight of the primary heiress of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black rolling around on the stone floor engaged in a giggling tickle fight with the niece of the head of the DMLE which only ended when Cassie pinched her opponent's nipple and stuck her tongue down her throat when the red head opened her mouth to scream.

Charli smirked, shook her head and gave a long suffering sigh as she picked up her sister's abandoned letter and tucked it into the book bag that never left Cassie's side. She and Hermione were just as bad if not worse (not that either of them would ever admit that) but that didn't stop her rolling her eyes at the antics of the two love-birds who were now making out heatedly on the floor to the interest and/or horror of all the students and staff looking on.

It wasn't until they had made it onto the train and got themselves settled in the huge carriage, courtesy of Hermione Granger's now much longer lasting space expansion charm, that the Irish witch reminded her sister of the letter. Cassie broke the seal and slit the envelope with a single swipe of her dagger and pulled out the rather short note which was written on standard, plain paper like all correspondence was when it came from the thrifty goblins. As she read it's contents one of her strange, creepy smiles began to make an appearance and the others wondered just what it was that she was planning with the magical bank.

 _ **To;**_

 _ **The Mistress of Chaos, Queen of Awesome, Princess of Pain, Duchess of Death, Troll Slayer, Dementor Slayer, Dragon Slayer and Siren of the Scythe,**_

 _ **My Dearest Lady Evans-Black,**_

 _ **In response to your request, forwarded to us by your Head of House, we take great pleasure in informing you that all of the arrangements have been put in place for your three consecutive meetings this Saturday. A representive of the bank has been briefed to provide arbitration services for a ten galleon fee but the Goblin guards will be provided to you free of charge although you are free to reward their service with a gratuity should you feel so inclined.**_

 _ **The meetings are set to begin at 10.00 am with the Potters, followed at two hour intervals by the Rothschildes and Weasleys, all of whom have been informed that their mandatory attendance is demanded by the bank. These notices were written by myself and have been worded in such a manner that I am confident that all parties will indeed be present.**_

 _ **On a personal note we at Gringotts would like to offer our congratulations on your quite breath-taking performance in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Your slaughter of the treacherous merpeople has even been added to the curriculum of our training facility for adolescent pre-warrior school as a perfect example of the use of rage in the heat of battle to overcome your own wounds and inflict awesome amounts of damage.**_

 _ **Your Humble Servant,**_

 _ **Director Ragnok, Head of Gringotts Bank (U.K.)**_

Cassie snorted as she finished reading the letter. It was always fun corresponding with Ragnok, he had such a wickedly dry sense of humour which, when combined with his nasty, vicious streak made for a highly entertaining time. She had a sneaking suspicion who the arbitrator was going to be and couldn't wait to meet up with him again and implement her plans for the three Noble families that she had 'invited' to the bank for a discussion on their respective daughters' future.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **Only one more chapter to go in this, the first volume of the Cassandra Evans story and then we'll be on a break until the New Year.**

 **Reviews are always appreciated but not necessary. I'm not going to hold you guys to ransom over them.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	42. Chapter 42

**Here we are then at the final chapter of, what I'm now calling, Volume 1 of the Cassandra Evans story.**

 **Those of you hoping for cliff hangers or happy endings are going to be disappointed I'm afraid as my plan for this story pretty much ended at the graveyard and I have no idea how I'm going to go forward so I'm just leaving myself as many options as possible open.**

 **Any and all suggestions going forward will be gratefully received.**

 **I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 **42\. Ride On.**

The usual melee at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Kings Cross was made worse by everyone trying to get a glimpse of the 'girl-who-lived' as she led her merry little band of misfits over to the waiting Blacks and friends. There was a lot of excitement among the on-lookers along with some apprehension as the parents seemed torn between lauding Cassie's skill and presence and discouraging their children from following her example in their personal lives. They seemed to have no issue with her being gay but most of them didn't really want their own offspring to be influenced by her alternative lifestyle as her House mates and even her own sister clearly had been. It was all a matter of supreme indifference to the three couples in question who paid no mind to the stares and whispers around them choosing to focus on each other and their friends instead. Until a screeching Molly Weasley physically dragged her daughter away from them that is.

Luna Lovegood was, at this intrusion, almost unrecogniseable as the usually calm and serene young woman snarled and tensed, ready to leap at the beligerent Weasley matriarch only to be grabbed from behind by the fast reacting Susan. The older red head held the squirming, furious witch tightly as she whispered calming words and assurances of revenge being taken swiftly and comprehensively into her ear and slowly Luna's rage ebbed away leaving the girl looking lost and folorn. Seeing this Cerys and Juliette rushed over to her and, holding one hand each, started chattering brightly to her as they continued on their way. A proud and grateful Susan gave them a nod of appreciation before returning to Cassie's side.

When they eventually reached their relatives there were a great many tearful farewells being exchanged among these girls who had spent every moment in each others company over the last ten months including a very heated one between Charli and Hermione. The muggle born witch's embarrassed parents were bright red and trying to look anywhere but at where their daughter was giving the tonsils of the equally embarrassed Irish girl a thorough examination with her tongue.

Cassie prodded her girlfriend and pointed to Charli who, having finally been released from the Hermione Granger death grip, was now making her way towards the international section of the public floos. Susan took the hint and bellowed out in a fog horn like voice that carried right across the platform, making everyone stop what they were doing and stare and pleasing her auntie to the point that she actually snorted in amusement.

"Oi Potter, where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Ummm ... home?"

Cassie shook her head and crooked her finger a couple of times. When her sister was close enough to read it she began to sign out.

 **No. You're coming with us.**

"But I can't. You saw that letter, if I don't go home now I'll be dis-owned."

 **Do you trust me?**

"Yes, of course I trust you." And she really did. Implicitly. Which was a rookie mistake really as Cassie wanted nothing more than to get all of her girls out of their terrible (or indeed not so terrible) situations to free them up for a more _deserving_ family to make a claim on them.

 **Then come with me.**

Charli looked at the hand that her half sister was holding out to her and then back up to her face, that sweet, mishievous, open, honest face that held a beauty that was far more than just physical. Smiling back at Cassie she reached out and grasped the waiting palm and was almost dragged off of her feet as the green eyed goddess pulled her in for a crushing hug. The Irish witch revelled in the warmth of her sibling's embrace and for the first time since she had received that awful solicitor's letter she actually believed that it was all going to be alright. She didn't know how it was going to be alright only that it was.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

In a coastal villa fifteen miles from the outskirts of Nice, Gabrielle Delacour watched her older sister as she sipped her coffee and attempted to hide the devious smile that had been marring her stunning face more and more often lately. She had sensed some disturbing changes in Fleur and it was beginning to scare her deeply. With the significant age gap between them they had never been friends exactly and her sister had always had more than a touch of arrogance about her but she knew that her sister loved her and would never hurt her. Lately, however, it seemed that she was going out of her way to upset the people around her. Since they had returned home to France she had been increasingly angry and withdrawn and had actually struck Gabrielle when she had entered Fleur's bathroom without knocking last week. She had been a royal bitch frankly now that she no longer had that strange, pink haired, auror cousin of Cassandra Evans-Black's around to impress and it was not restricted just to her family as even the house elves were frightened of her now. It was ... off.

She didn't know who this person was that had come back from the graveyard in England that day but it certainly wasn't her sister. Gabrielle's suspicions were not allayed when Fleur stared right at her like that either. It was incredibly creepy. And this was coming from someone who had spent a significant amount of time with the Psycho Freaks and Cassandra Evans-Black. Creepy was kind of what they did. Now that she came to think of it there were an awful lot of similarities starting to emerge between the unbelievably scary Black heiress and the ... _thing_ that her sister had become.

Delamorte simply smiled as she sat on the veranda, sipped her coffee and rifled through little Gabby's thoughts. It amused her that the girl was comparing her to the 'brat-who-lived' but behind her humour there was a seed of doubt sown because she could actually follow the reasoning and was struggling to find the flaw in it. She had indeed become extremely temperamental being cooped up here with nothing to do but plot and plan and wonder what her new dark mark should be. That had riled her up considerably when she had realised that she couldn't call her minions because of it's lack and she may have taken it out on a couple of house elves that had been cleaning her room at the time. Much like herself the Evans-Black girl wasn't exactly a model of restraint when it came to holding her temper or dealing out retribution for real or imagined slights and she too had built a tight unit or 'inner circle' of talented individuals to surround herself with. More talented than the ones that she had had as Voldemort anyway. Perhaps it was time for a long overdue change of personnel in her organisation, once their current usefulness was at an end that is.

Gabrielle really was extremely perceptive for such a young girl. Unfortunately for her though, that also made her extremely dangerous. Excusing herself from the table she made her way to the Head's study to start in on some urgent international correspondence. It was time for the Delacours to suffer a terrible and tragic attack by those brutal and brutish English Death Eaters, desperate to finish the job that they had started a month ago. It was going to leave the brave and beautiful Fleur battered and bruised again but this time orphaned and homeless as well. Needless to say her poor little sister was also going to suffer fatally at the hands of these beasts, although Delamorte would at least make sure that her end was as quick and relatively painless as possible. This was her one concession to the essence of the original Fleur Delacour who was screaming and wailing in her rage and frustration, battering at the now tangible walls of her mental cage, unable to do anything to stop Delamorte's plan to wipe out her entire family.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Ragnok the third, director of Gringotts bank U.K. division, wasn't known within this grand old institution for laughing very often but when he did it was usually due to the activities of the young heiress who faced him across the private conference room today. The muggle, men's three piece suit and tie that she wore was of the deepest black, the shirt a blinding white and her raven hair was slicked back and held in a tight ponytail with a silver scythe hair clip. This motif was repeated in the bright, silver pin that she wore on her left lapel, bearing the Psycho Freak emblem of the basilisk and the scythe. With these interesting wardrobe choices and her dark glasses Cassandra Evans-Black looked more like a Corleone that had just stepped off the set of the Godfather than the primary heiress of an Ancient wizarding clan. He loved that movie, the dirty dealings, the intrigue, the violence, it all just really spoke to him as a goblin. Clearly young Cassandra was also a bit of a fan and he greeted her as such.

"Are you ready to go the mattresses Miss Evans-Black?"

And there it was. The barely concealed smirk and the twinkling, emerald eyes that turned the young witch's face from serene and coldly beautiful to wonderfully evil and mischievous. This boded well for the day and he hoped that someone would be stupid enough to piss her off to the point that he could see her boil their brains inside their skull or something equally exciting. He answered her enthusiastic nodding by guiding her to throne like seat at the head of the long table where she then arranged herself daintily so as to have the maximum possible impact on her visitors. The first of whom chose this moment to arrive and stared unbelievingly at the girl who had chosen to take this important meeting in what they considered to be fancy dress.

"Welcome to Gringotts everyone, I would like to thank you all for your attendance here today." He gave a toothy grin at the grimace of disgust that this statement produced from the Irish contingent and at the quiet, appreciative huffing that came from the head of the table. "If everyone is ready let's begin."

Marlene Potter nee McKinnon sat glaring at her daughter who was positioned on the left hand side of the one person that she really didn't want to have to look at. Ever. But there she was looking all smug, with that superior expression on her face that she remembered so well from her school days whenever the hated Lily Evans deigned to look in her direction. It wasn't like the little bitch was an exact copy of her mother, unfortunately she had enough of the extremely recogniseable Potter family features to make it abundantly clear just who's daughter this was and it was like a dagger to her heart. Thanks to this her opening remarks were far from complimentary as would be expected when meeting with an Ancient and Noble House.

They didn't get any nicer as the 'meeting' continued. Marlene and her father seemed to be taking turns to rip into the House of Black and it's youngest current member thinking that they they had total licence to do so here in the bank under the watchful eye of the goblins. It amused Ragnok that they thought that he would bother to protect them if they went too far. Not that he was sure that he could even if he wanted to. There was something about the 'Mistress of Chaos' that disturbed him beyond belief, and for a goblin to be disturbed by a human meant that she was a very serious threat indeed. He wondered if something ought to be done to prepare for a day that the bank wasn't on such good terms with the green eyed monster silently watching everything that occured without expression on her lovely face. She _was_ Michael Corleone with a wand and a scythe. And tits. Cassie's mask of indifference was broken, however, when Marlene Potter switched targets and started in on Charlotte.

"I would like to accuse you of corrupting my daughter but I think everyone is aware that she was a skanky little lesbian whore long before she met you."

 **What a fucking bitch.**

Sirius barked out a laugh before he could stop himself and even Charli couldn't restrain the snort that escaped at her sister's bad tempered but accurate rejoinder and both she and Lord Black shared a not so subtle high five with her. Marlene Potter was not amused at their reaction.

"Fine. Go off and enjoy yourself with the dirty Black dykes. But when they've finished with you and thrown you back out on your arse don't even think about coming crying back to me, girl. I'm done with you." She paused to give her daughter a nasty smile. "The Potters are done with you. And if I die without having another child then the Potter line will die with me."

"Are you done Marlene?"

Sirius' tone was deceptively soft. The black haired man was actually seething at this awful woman's abominable treatment of her own flesh and blood, although considering why they were here this was probably not the last time he was going to hear this kind of thing today. He gave a warning squeeze to Cassie's free hand, feeling her rage through the touch before continuing.

"Then just to be clear. The Potter line will not end with you, it automatically reverts to the closest living descendant of the blood, in this case Charlotte, even if they have been dis-owned. The survival of the blood-line always overrides the petty squabblings of the less intelligent family members. It's how I still became Lord Black even after I was dis-owned by my oh so charming mother two decades ago."

Marlene really wanted to tell him to go to hell but managed to keep enough of her wits about her to restrain herself from doing something that could come back and bite her family in the arse later. Deliberately insulting the Head of a Noble and Most Ancient House with the kind of financial and political clout that the Blacks had would definitely qualify as a very bad idea indeed. It seemed that the only way to ensure that her ungrateful, deviant daughter didn't inherit was or her to have another wholly legitimate child by a man who didn't mind relinquishing his own heritage to take the Potter name. She seemed to recall that there was a second son of the Flahertys who had always been pretty sweet on her. Fuck it. Grinning at her perceived, impending victory Marlene Potter spat out.

"Charlotte Dawn, you are hereby dis-owned and dis-inherited from the houses of Potter and McKinnon, and good riddance to bad rubbish."

What the older Irish woman had failed to understand was that, not being a Potter by blood like her first born daughter, any subsequent child that she had would still come in second to Charlotte in the line of succession to the Noble and Ancient House. This didn't stop Cassie from twitching in annoyance and anger at her nasty way of wording her half sister's exile from the House of her birth.

 **Can I kill her yet?**

"Hush you."

Charli was surprised at how calm she was as her mother and grand father wiped her existence from the families that she had been a part of all of her life. Calm enough to tease her dangerously volatile sister and take some of the heat out of the situation and calm enough to respond with serene dignity to her expulsion from her former life. The dignity only turned to excitement when the Potter/McKinnon party departed and Cassie's dad reached for the ritual dagger to complete their business with a most welcome and wished for announcement.

"I, Lord Sirius Orion Black do accept you, Charlotte Dawn, into the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black as a ward, dependant and daughter of my House."

The blood pooled in the bottom of the bowl and Ragnok himself performed the required legalities as Charli joined Cassie in being able to call the former marauder and Lord of her new House 'daddy'. According to her sister it annoyed the ever loving shit out of him which was more than reason enough for her to do it, although he might get a few days grace for being such a sweetie and giving her a way out of her crap former life. She gave him an amazingly sunny, if slightly tearful, smile as he stated.

"Welcome to the family Charlotte Black."

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

Charli was shipped off to meet with Susan and Amelia in Diagon Alley and was replaced in her seat by the extremely nervous Mathilde who moved her chair as close as physically possible to the particularly sexy looking Cassie. The twelve year old wasn't exactly an expert in muggle fashion but the way that black suit was hugging every exquisite curve of her Dark Angel left her wanting to spend some time shopping outside of the usual wizarding areas. Perhaps Cassie and Susan would take her if she was a very good girl. She'd have to ask. Just as she was building up the courage to do this it immediately fled again when her stony faced parents were ushered into the conference room.

The opening salvos of the Rothscildes' conversation were the exact opposite of their previous encounter, full of smarmy and entirely false compliments on everything from Sirius' good looks to Cassie's dress sense and left their hosts feeling slightly confused and also more than a bit queasy. They assured Sirius and his heiress that it wasn't the House of Black that they had an objection to but more the fact that their idiot child was not fit to mix with her betters as she had been doing. Her punishments for this mis-behaviour and her expulsion from their family were entirely the girl's own doing and they were both grateful for and suprised by the charity being offered by Lord Sirius and his daughter. The fact that they focused their attention purely on the two Blacks and didn't even glance at their own child who was becoming more and more withdrawn by the minute caused Cassie's expressionless 'Godfather' face to be severely tested.

Cassie hated all this political manouvering and bullshit. It really grated on her that she had to wade through all of this double talk and these double meanings when all that she really wanted to do was stab these horrible people who had mis-treated her little friend until her arm got tired and her knife got blunt. While Ragnok and the Goblins might let her get away with that course of action she was pretty sure that her new step-mum to be would probably have a bit of a major problem with it. Her temper really got tested too when the Rothschildes started talking about taking Mathilde home to 'instruct' her on proper behaviour and punish her themselves for her impertinence of asking such a noble old House for sanctuary.

 **What are we going to do Cass?**

Mathilde looked totally panicked at the thought of having to go back home with these monsters disguised as human beings as she signed out her question and was only calmed when Cassie put her hand gently but firmly on her shoulder before replying.

 **I'm going to make them an offer they can't refuse.**

Reaching for a pad she retrieved an expensive looking muggle pen from her muggle suit's breast pocket and began to write. The only sound in the room at this point was the scratching of the pen nib across the pad as everyone watched the scary teenager scribble away. After a couple of scratchings out and a revision or two she passed the pad to Sirius and indicated that he should read it out loud.

"My heiress says that she wishes to make you an offer. You give up all rights and responsibilities, here and now, to your daughter Mathilde and in return she will not hunt you and your entire family down, drag you to the ancient stones in Anglesey and sacrifice your worthless, child abusing, bastard selves to the old Gods in the longest and most painful ways that she can think of."

Sirius delivered this message in a completely deadpan, unemotional monotone as if he gave out this type of ultimatum from his daughter every day. This scared them more than the actual words that he spoke but not nearly as much as the cold, dead, creepy stare from the green eyed monster in the muggle suit, absently playing with a large dagger, that held them pinned to their seats with fear. They broke in seconds, signed over their middle child without a moments thought and virtually ran from the room. The meeting had gone more or less how they had expected it to and they imagined that their plan was still on track but there was no way that they were going to spend time in a room alone with the murderous looking Black heiress.

Their departure and the manner of it prompted a cold smile from Cassie and a sigh of relief from everyone else as she had managed to keep her explosive temper in check and no-one had been disembowelled. Although at one point it looked as if Lord Rothschilde was going to die of fright. Sirius couldn't blame him for that though, Cassie could be spectacularly frightening when she had you in the cross hairs like that. He blew out his cheeks and signalled Director Ragnok for the blood adoption paraphenalia once more as he prepared take on daughter number three.

"Do you, Mathilde Veronique, wish to be accepted into the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black as a ward, dependant and daughter of my House."

"I do, My Lord." The small girl paused for a moment while what was happening truly started to sink in. Her next words were almost lost in her sobs "My father."

"Welcome to the family Mathilde Black."

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

The last meeting of the day was much more to Cassie's taste and the ginger haired family didn't disappoint her by playing right to her strengths. Irate parents and physical confrontations she knew how to handle and she smiled as she closed her eyes, leaned back in her chair, put her hands behind her head and let the words wash over her. The anticipation of the violence was always the best part. Plus, her laid back attitude seemed to really piss off Ginny's mum.

Molly Weasley had started her screeching, vitriolic rant almost as soon as Ragnok had finished the preliminary introductions and before any explanations of why her family's presence had been required. Arthur and Ginny looked embarrassed and uttery shell-shocked as she really started to hit her stride. It was a fairly impressive and all encompassing diatribe which occasionally went off on random tangents but always came back to the main theme that Cassie had stolen away her sweet and innocent daughter and turned her into an un-natural, homosexual slut. While she was rather enjoying the varied and extensive use of swear words that the large, ginger woman was coming out with, after about ten minutes she got bored so decided to bring an end to it by slamming her dagger through the table right in between Molly's splayed fingers. Although it did stop her invective temporarilly, while she stared at the wicked piece of beautifully crafted goblin steel protruding from the woodwork only a fraction of an inch from her hand, soon she was back on the offensive. Offensive being a very apt description as her focus shifted to the Black heiress' family.

"Don't you dare threaten your elders you vicious little tart. You're no better than that dirty whore of a mudblood mother of yours."

Arthur Weasley finally snapped out of his shocked state just in time to slap his hand over his wife's mouth and drag her backwards out her chair a second before it exploded in a cloud of splinters, none which was larger than a matchstick and all of which were on fire. Luckily Sirius had been expecting something of this sort to happen, due to the fact that Molly couldn't keep her damned mouth shut even when she really, really should, and was ready with the shielding charms so any accidental injuries were avoided.

"Arthur Weasley of House Weasley." Ragnok jumped in before the 'Mistress of Chaos' could destroy any more of the bank's expensive furniture in her eagerness to get at the woman who had probably just signed her own death warrant with that comment about the girl's mother. "You will curb your wife's tongue or I will have it removed."

"You can't do that goblin, it's against the treaty your people signed with the Ministry." Arthur tried and failed to exert some kind of Head of House authority over the situation only to have Director Ragnok laugh at the attempt.

"True but my associates and myself can leave the room to take an urgent message and leave you alone with little Miss 'sets people on fire without giving it a moment's pause' over there." Ragnok gave his favourite small human a surrupticious wink. "And given that dangerous looking twitch in her eye and the dagger in her hand I would strongly advise against you going down that road Mister Weasley."

Still gripping Molly with his hand clamped over her mouth the red haired man did indeed look over to where the world's most dangerous teenager was positively vibrating with fury. And he honestly couldn't blame her after what his wife had just said to the temperamental young woman. Lily Evans hadn't exactly been his favourite person with her attitude and lifestyle but to call her _that_ in front her child was unforgiveable. And more than a little stupid. He wondered again why he hadn't taken the opportunity when he was younger to marry a woman with more brains than breasts. Oh he had been warned that she would do literally anything to get her own way but he had brushed those off as jealousy that he was the one going home with the (then) delectable Molly Prewitt on his arm. They came back to haunt him now though as she opened that mouth of hers again.

"Ginny come away from that monster or face the consequences."

"Yes it's time we should go, come along dear."

Even though he hadn't actually said the words Arthur hadn't actually contradicted the threat that Molly had just made either and sensing an easy victory Sirius looked at the goblin for confirmation of his suspicion. Receiving a subtle nod from Ragnok he asked the question that would determine Ginny's future.

"Are you saying that you are standing by your wife's decision to expel your daughter from House Weasley if she chooses to continue associating with my heiress?"

"Of course I stand by my wife."

He was agitated and distrated and the words had left Arthur's mouth before he could stop them. Ginny, having been more than a little confused at most of what had occurred today, finally realised what was on offer here and leapt at the perceived opportunity before anyone else coud jump in.

"I, Ginevra Molly Weasley do hereby renounce the House of my birth and accept Lord Sirius Orion Black as my guardian and Head of House."

 _"Nooooo!"_

Molly wailed dramatically as her only daughter turned her back on their family. Arthur kept holding her tightly so that she couldn't interfere and cause more trouble for them or their finances accepting the situation far more stoically, having seen this day coming for a long time. He loved his wife beyond measure but she had caused this by being controlling and over-bearing and, frankly just damn stroppy, about Ginny's friendship with the 'girl-who-lived', for reasons that he honestly couldn't fathom. She had pushed both her and the Blacks into this and now he was going to lose his only daughter.

"I, Lord Sirius Orion Black do accept you, Ginevra Molly, into the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black as a ward, dependant and daughter of my House."

Other than the slight frown at the use of her middle name Ginny's smile was enormous as the handsome Lord Black gave his pronouncement on her new status as the much adored and admired Cassie's adopted sister. Without so much as a backward glance at her biological parents she threw herself into her new sibling's arms and squealed as she did the same to her new dad she only just heard the last words he spoke as they were muffled through his dress robes.

"Welcome to the family Ginevra Black."

The sobbing Molly Weasley had to assisted from the room by both goblin guards as well as her husband before the blood adoption could be completed.

 **(((((((((x))))))))**

In the sitting room at Twelve Grimmuald Place Mathilde, Ginevra and Charlotte Black sat in a tight circle on the old Chinese silk rug with their sister Cassandra and passed the 'Susan Bones; Super Wedding Planner's album of love' between them. It was an extraordinary study of the most appallingly soppy and romantic, or sweet and beautiful depending on your viewpoint, ways to stage a wedding in an eye watering variety of shades of pink. It was a decidedly strange work which divided the opinions of the Black sisters between simply showing a surprisingly softer side of the serious red head and being as scary as fuck. All that pink. It just wasn't normal.

Kreacher, hovering about and re-filling drinks and refreshing nibbles was in his element and had to stop himself going into paroxysms of joy at what was occuring in the old manor. These girls had visited before but now they were full and permanent members, daughters of the House of Black and they were an utter delight for him to serve. They were vulgar, naughty and so incredibly mischievous that it reminded him of the good old days with the misses Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa when they were this age except that instead of having three Black sisters he now had five to corral and look after. It was heaven for him. Not that the grumpy old bastard let on mind you. He grinned at the look on the dog master's face as he now perused the album that had made it's way to him.

"You know that you've got all of this to come don't you." Sirius glared in mock anger at his heiress.

 **What?**

"Well this is all the work of _your_ bloody girlfriend and if you're not _very_ nice to me then as your Head of House I might just have to expedite a betrothal contract to tie you to the mistress of pink and fluffy things for ever more."

 **You wouldn't.**

"He wouldn't what?" Susan wandered into the room to catch Cassie's horrified reponse and got the instant reply.

 **Nothing.**

"Nothing."

Neither of them were stupid enough to let the red head know that they had been talking about her and the girls all laughed riotously as Cassie and Sirius gave the not at all suspicious immediate double denial thus making it even more so.

"You were talking about me weren't you."

 **No Suzie it wasn't me honest love, it was all Da's fault, I was defending you.**

"Were you now."

The innocent puppy eyes that seemed to work on everyone else in the world cut no mustard with the red head but Cassie tried it anyway. All it got her for her trouble was a hard stare and a light kick in the shins. Which was apparently the signal for all the girls to attack his primary heiress. The Black family at play was a wonderful sight to behold.

Sirius gave a happy little sigh as he watched them playing and bickering and making up and thought about how much his life had changed in the last year or so. Two years ago he was shivering in a small cell in Azkaban prison and now he was the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black who was about to be married to his old childhood crush with four adopted daughters, one step-daughter and a baby on the way. All of this good fortune had come to him as a result of being chased down and caught by a maniacal little mute girl with piercing green eyes who had a quick wand draw and a quicker temper and her fanatical and persistent girlfriend. The two of them had brought such joy into his life that he couldn't help but have a little weep to himself.

This was soon cured by the aforementioned witches looking at each other and giving an evil grin before jumping on him and subjecting him to a vicious cushion assault the ferocity of which was totally ruined by their huffing and giggling laughter. He fell off of the sofa under this feathery bombardment with a loud crash that brought the passing Amelia and Remus into the room. Unfortunately they were far too busy laughing at his predicament to be of much assistance to him at the moment. Until several cushions were diverted straight into Amelia's face knocking her onto her bum that is. Her fiancee leapt to her defence in a show of gallantry that was as sweet as it was entirely pointless.

"Do not fret my lady, I, Sir Sirius will protect you from the eostrogenic monsters." There was a pause as he saw Cassie pull his missing marauder mirror from her pocket and press down hard on it's surface with one of her best creepy, evil smiles. "Oh shit."

The ebbing mayhem was almost immediately re-started when half a dozen sooty young witches piled out of the fireplace and straight into the battle which very quickly descended into a feather dusted free for all. Walbuga watched this all happen from her position of honour on the sitting room wall and smiled to herself. Look at all these intensely protective, powerful young witches that her grand daughter could summon to her side at will. It made her more sure than ever that Cassandra Evans-Black was the one to lead their family back to the very top of the wizarding world. And if she became a Dark Lady on the way? Well all the better in her opinion. Walburga had many bones to pick with Albus Dumbledore and Cassandra was her mortal weapon in that fight. The girl still needed a great deal of knowledge and training if she was going to beat the beardy old cocksucker but she definitely had the most important quality. Potential.

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **So there we are, I hope you're not all too disappointed at how I've left it.**

 **I'm going to go off and finish up Fortunate Son and finally get going on my new Queen Alice story while I have a think about where we're going and make a plan for Volume 2 so I'll see you all on January First.**

 **Oh and I will be updating the lemons fic as and when I get the inspiration to do so.**

 **Good? Bad? Leave your thoughts although you can always PM me with ideas, suggestions, comments if you want. Dylan the Rabbit. xx**


	43. Chapter 43

**I still don't own Harry Potter otherwise I'd be writing all day instead of working to pay the bills.**

 **Dylan the Rabbit. xx**

 **(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

 **The Silent World of Cassandra Evans.**

 _._

 **Not an update.**

 **.**

 **I understand that this is a bit naughty but since we're ready earlier than expected I thought that I'd give all of you who have faved and followed this story a bit of a heads up.**

 **The first chapter of Volume 2 is going up today.**

 **The story is called 'Season of the Witch' and I have the first three chapters written and ready to go up over the next few days after which I'm expecting to be doing a chapter every week to ten days.**

 **I have a tentative plan but I welcome any and all suggestions, ideas or comments going forward. Sinclair36 and VonPelt have already provided some very useful stuff which will be incorporated into this story and I hope for more of the same from you guys.**

 **I promise that it's not just me being lazy, I geniunely love the feedback and some of your ideas amuse the ever loving shit out of me.**

 **.**

 **I hope to see you over there.**

 **DtR xx.**


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